Mark Zuckerberg's Metaverse Horizon Worlds, known for its 3D avatar-based social platform, is expanding its horizons beyond virtual reality headsets. In a recent blog post, the company announced that it has initiated the early access rollout of Meta Horizon worlds on mobile and web platforms.
As of now, the primary experience available is "Super Rumble," a free-to-play shooter that premiered in late July. Super Rumble allows two to six players to engage in fast-paced matches lasting five minutes. Meta has plans to introduce more experiences and worlds on the platform in the coming months. Initially, only a select few will have access to it through the web or the Meta Quest app on Android, with an iOS version expected to follow in the coming weeks.
Meta emphasizes its commitment to making the Metaverse accessible to everyone, regardless of the device they use. While the Quest headset offers an immersive experience, the company believes in offering multiple entry points to the Metaverse.
Expanding to more devices is part of Meta's strategy to make the experience available to a wider audience. Despite not disclosing official monthly active user numbers, a Wall Street Journal report from October 2022 estimated that Meta had just under 200,000 monthly active users. The company's social platform is currently limited to select countries, including Canada, France, Iceland, Ireland, Spain, the UK, and the US.
Notably, blockchain-based Metaverse platforms like Decentraland and The Sandbox initially launched as PC and web-based experiences. They have yet to release official VR ports. Meta's Horizon avatars recently received an update they've long been awaiting – virtual legs. The absence of legs in Meta's avatars had initially drawn criticism, given the company's significant investments. During Connect 2022, Meta promised a final update for the avatars in 2023, and this leg feature has started rolling out to the Horizon Worlds app, following its introduction in the Quest Home space in a v57 beta update.
The move to expand Horizon Worlds to mobile and web platforms reflects Meta's ongoing efforts to make its Metaverse more accessible and inclusive to a broader audience.
