Meta Shuts Horizon Workrooms, Pivots to Mobile as VR Strategy Falters
Meta Platforms Inc. is sunsetting its Horizon Workrooms virtual collaboration platform effective February 16, 2026, marking a strategic retreat from enterprise VR. The shutdown includes terminating headset sales and purging all user data, though existing license holders retain access until 2030.
The move follows tepid adoption of VR workspaces, with Meta now directing clients to third-party platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Concurrently, roughly 1,000 Reality Labs employees face layoffs as the company shuts VR studios and halts development.
Investors responded with cautious optimism, nudging Meta shares marginally higher. The muted reaction reflects broader questions about Meta’s metaverse ambitions amid its renewed focus on mobile experiences and AI tools.
This pivot mirrors industry trends—while VR struggles to find enterprise traction, mobile-first solutions and generative AI dominate corporate tech budgets. Meta’s Horizon mobile app will inherit some Workrooms features, suggesting the company now views smartphones, not headsets, as the gateway to augmented productivity.