- Meta is switching off Horizon Workrooms as a stand-alone app next month.
- Workrooms was launched for remote teams to collaborate in virtual reality.
- The move comes as Meta is laying off workers in its Reality Labs metaverse division.
Meta is discontinuing its workplace virtual reality app Horizon Workrooms as it makes cuts in its metaverse division.
The Facebook owner said in a Thursday blog post that users would no longer be able to access Workrooms from February 16, after which any associated data will be deleted.
Meta launched Workrooms in 2021 as a platform for remote teams to collaborate in virtual reality, as part of the company's big push into the metaverse.
Its closure comes as the tech giant prepares to lay off workers in its Reality Labs division, which develops the company's virtual reality headsets and VR-based social network Horizon Worlds. Roughly 10% to 15% of Reality Labs' 15,000 employees are expected to be laid off, The New York Times reported.
The metaverse has been a costly bet for Meta, racking up more than $70 billion in losses since 2020. It has faced repeated rounds of cuts as Meta shifts its attention — and spending — toward AI.
In amemo obtainedby Business Insider last year, Meta's CTO, who oversees the company's metaverse efforts, called 2025 "the most critical" year of his tenure.
Workrooms showcased how Meta Horizon could bring people together to work, collaborate, and connect, the company said. But Meta Horizon has since developed into a social platform that supports a wide range of productivity apps and tools.
Meanwhile, Meta said its Horizon managed services will no longer be available for purchase from February 20, although customers would continue to receive support until the start of 2030.
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