Meta claims that this is the decisive year for the metaverse.

A Meta executive has stated that this year will be crucial in determining the future of Horizon Worlds, describing it as a crossroads between being considered a visionary work or a famous misadventure. In an internal message shared in a forum, Andrew Bosworth, Meta's CTO, expressed that the metaverse has one year to become relevant or face the risk of being seen as a failure.

In his communication, Bosworth explains that the company has the best product portfolio to date and aims to expand it by launching several AI-powered wearable devices. He emphasizes the importance of increasing sales as well as user retention and engagement, particularly in the realm of mixed reality (MR). He highlights that the performance of Horizon Worlds on mobile platforms is critical for the long-term aspirations of the company to be viable.

These statements come shortly after leaked comments from Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, during a town hall meeting, where he anticipated a very active year and stressed the need to maintain primacy in the smart glasses market, which have overshadowed Reality Labs' Quest headsets.

While Bosworth predicts that 2024 will be a promising year, he also acknowledges that Reality Labs has yet to make a significant mark in the world. Although the team has been downsized following layoffs and the growing popularity of Meta's Ray-Bans and its AI initiatives, Bosworth argues that large teams are not necessary to make an impact, as sometimes smaller groups can be more agile and effective.

He concludes his message by stating that the team does not need new ideas but rather a better execution of their current plans to achieve success. Regarding a potential failure of Horizon Worlds in the coming year, Bosworth chooses not to elaborate further, leaving open the possibility of the project becoming a "legendary misadventure."