Meta made the headlines yet again with the announcement of its Horizon Worlds Launch in parts of Europe, France and Spain. This initiative builds on the existing three markets including the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. where it is already available. In a Facebook post, Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch with a photo of his avatar in and noted that it plans to expand the platform to more countries.
Meta launched Horizon Worlds for all users above 18 years of age in the U.S. and Canada last year and made it available for users in the U.K. in June. In April, it also said that it is working on a web version to let people experience virtual worlds without owning a VR headset.
Over the last few months, the company has also added safety features like controls for voice chat and four-foot personal boundaries around avatars in the Horizon Worlds platform.
Zuckerberg made the announcement on Facebook with a photo of his Metaverse avatar, claiming that this is part of their ongoing plan to roll Horizon Worlds out to more people in Europe this year.
Horizon Worlds is just one of the VR social apps offered by Meta, which has a vision of building a metaverse consisting of many such virtual worlds. The company expects that users will spend more time hanging out with their friends in these virtual spaces, and even spend money on in-app goods. But the company’s still very far away from achieving any of this.
According to Meta, "virtual worlds represent a major new opportunity for creators to build communities and connect with audiences. Whether it’s a mini-game, a place to teach people about health, a contemplative world to relax and meditate in, or anything in between, you can build it in Horizon Worlds."
