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MetaStoreHelp
Community Manager
March 17, 2026

Updates to Your Meta Quest Experience in 2026

  • March 17, 2026
  • 293 replies
  • 45571 views

Earlier this year, we shared an update on our renewed focus for VR and Horizon. We are separating the two platforms so each can grow with greater focus, and the Horizon Worlds platform will become a mobile-only experience. This separation will extend across our ecosystem, including our mobile app. To support this vision, we are making the following changes to streamline your Quest experience throughout 2026.

  • Meta Horizon Worlds: By March 31, 2026, Horizon Worlds and Events will no longer appear in the Store on Quest. Also, Horizon Central, Events Arena, Kaiju, and Bobber Bay worlds will no longer be available in VR. You can still jump into your other favorite worlds in VR until June 15, 2026, after which the Horizon Worlds app will be removed from Quest, and Worlds will no longer be available in VR. After June 15, you can jump into all your favorite mobile-optimized worlds on the Meta Horizon mobile app.
  • Meta Horizon Hyperscape Capture (Beta): By March 24, 2026, viewing Hyperscape captures is moving out of Horizon Worlds. Your existing captures will remain viewable within the Hyperscape Capture (Beta) app and the companion Preview app, which are available in your Quest app library. You can continue capturing new Hyperscapes, but sharing, inviting, and co-experiencing Hyperscapes with others will no longer be supported.
  • Meta Horizon Plus (MH+) Perks: By March 31, 2026, Horizon-specific perks — including Meta Credits, Digital Clothing, Avatars and In-World Purchases — will be removed from the subscription. Your core MH+ gaming benefits and monthly games will not be affected.

We continue to invest in making your Quest experience better — recent updates have brought new features like Surface Keyboard and Touchpad, customizable app and window positioning, and we're continuing to roll out Navigator, our modernized interface, to more users.

    293 replies

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    Nytmaer02
    Participant
    March 18, 2026

    HEY META, What are you giving us?  If you are taking away VR, what are you giving us?  You can't just pull up roots where you got most of your users/creators.  

    Anyone got any other alternate places other than VR Chat?

    VenusStarseed
    New Participant
    March 18, 2026

    Looks like they are pouring everything into the Meta RayBand glasses. I feel bad for all the people fired but this was billions of dollars invested for like 900 active users it was bound to happen.

    MelvinG24
    MelvinG24
    New Participant
    March 18, 2026

    I won't lie; I don’t use Meta Horizon World much on my VR headset because I primarily use it for other apps and games. However, I dislike that they are removing it entirely from the VR headset. I cannot see myself using Meta Horizon World outside of the headset or on my phone.

    Computer Science - Software Engineer github.com/MelvinG24
      Maccyb123
      Honored Contributor
      March 18, 2026

      MelvinG24 You explained exactly what the problem was Melvin. "I don't use Meta Horizon World much on my VR headset". There are less than a hundred individuals complaining here and even less on Reddit. But you can find thousands of people throughout the past few years wanting Worlds gone totally. The cold hard fact is that it was losing a lot of money and a pure VR gaming platform is the way to go. Many people talk about moving to Steam Frame because they only want games without the distraction of Worlds. It's the right move in my opinion. 

      Redwizardmatt
      Participant
      April 6, 2026

      They talk about moving to Steam Frame because its a newer hardware and plays steam VR games. Because its a better gaming experience, period, full stop. You get that right? Its the premium gaming option. But its Steam, it comes with your full Steam library. Can run VR mods for games, like Fallen Order, and is just going to be a better option for games. Theres literally no reason to own any other headset for games unless its for an exclusive. Thats instant game over for Meta as a gaming platform and Meta knows it. Thats why all their gaming studios have been shut down, they "delayed" Quest 4 by at least two years, and they moved all their VR funding to XR glasses. Steam kills them no matter what they do. Period. Full stop. If they compete directly. They have to be so different than Steam that they arent competing for marketshare. And they are currently thinking that means glasses instead of headsets. 

      AsianPersuasion78
      New Participant
      March 18, 2026

      Change is good!!👍🤑

      alokbjp786
      Up and Coming
      March 18, 2026

      Waiting for meta’s new upcoming incredible project. Removing meta community forum as it’s not beneficial for them😂.

      In next big update it will remove App Store also and will ask user’s to make their own apps as per their interests 🤣.

      Everyone please be prepared to sell your quest to nearby child or donate someone’s child in family. Because meta is planning to make plastic bottles instead of making quesy.

       

        QPORIT
        Participant
        March 18, 2026

        The IDEA of Horizon was/is terrific. The execution and experience not so much.   When entering VR, we want to experience something transformative, and Promising Adventure, but it must load fast and work well.  Horizon was initially a user built, not expert built environment, and the tools for users to build were terrible. Later, experts had more tools and built more sites, but too much in the vein of the earlier klutzy styles.  Not even the Meta Connect Keynote ever worked well in Horizon. Even the predecessor SPACES was a better style model to start with. An additional problem with Horizon was that -- at least for a long time -- it was more a platform for some dedicated builders   - who did not have the tools to build things for others, so they went to great effort to build things, but not things that massive numbers of others would want to join. An additional problem, which other projects have faced, is the issue of catering to a wide range of ages and interests in the same app. People in one group would interfere with people of another group; or material attractive to one group would be wrong for a different group.  I hope that Meta VR will create a new (or a complex of new) environment(s) that will be inviting to enter, and create easy navigation to many metaverse (yes) universes, each appropriate to a community, whether they are builders, users, visitors, players, workers or something else.  And one prerequisite (and basic test of its perfection) is that an easy to reach destination is the perfect AI enhanced 3D 360 location to experience the META CONNECT KEYNOTE.

          CezaryOne
          Participant
          March 18, 2026

          You are not a member of MHCP. Could you show at least one WORLD designed by you?  What about those who invested their time in designing worlds? Do you know how many participants interacted with each other through this platform? Microsoft did a similar thing by shutting down the Altspace platform and, consequently, the entire VR space! It's disgusting.

            QPORIT
            Participant
            March 18, 2026

            I was one of the first to begin using Horizon Worlds. I did not find it worth the enormous effort. I joined several of the early community groups, and frequently made suggestions to Facebook (then) and Meta (later).  I have periodically come back. I have personally not liked much on it, or its overall look and structure. I think it is significant that even Meta Connect was not much good when they cast the show to Horizons.  I have looked at the improvements in dev tools; they were big improvements, but it still was producing clunky worlds.  There were a few people who were creating great stuff, and were enjoying building; more power to them and you - if you were one of them. But the style, the content, and the complaints about some people interfering with other people's enjoyment of the site were not the way to build or run the foundational environment for the growth of immersive 3D.  From what I understand, Altspace suffered from the problem of preventing some people in the user community from interfering with others; and that it was also built on technology that became obsolete and would need to be totally re-written. I used to use it and I liked using it, but I never tried to build there. I am building now for webXR. I believe in 3D 360 immersive spaces. It is very hard to get a "metaverse" or even a single 3D 360 immersive social space right.  I am sorry you and today's builders will lose their Worlds. But I strongly believe that when the price, comfort, resolution, and development barriers go down (and they will because tech is improving exponentially),  a truly wondrous multi-universe of spaces will emerge, and 3D 360 AI integrated, immersive, virtual, augmented, and mixed, eXtended Reality (XR) devices will become the communications standard, replacing the smart phone.  I hope you and your friends (and I) will be able to build in them, and use them, and work in them, and play in them, and enjoy them!

              QueenladyVerrona
              QueenladyVerrona
              New Participant
              March 18, 2026

              I like playing the meta horizon worlds on my headset I’m shocked that meta wants to move horizon worlds to mobile every time I play the mobile version it gets laggy I wish they wouldn’t remove the horizon app from Vr and I wish they would keep the app on headsets instead of just mobile.

                steve40
                steve40
                Honored Contributor
                March 18, 2026

                🏰 Monty Python Sketch: "The Great Horizon Worlds Decommissioning"

                INT. THE MINISTRY OF STREAMLINED VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES - DAY

                A META OFFICIAL stands behind a lectern shaped like a VR headset. A large sign reads: "WELCOME TO THE FUTURE (SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED)"

                A CROWD OF QUEST USERS gathers, each holding a headset, a pitchfork, or a cup of tea.

                META OFFICIAL: Good afternoon, loyal users! We are pleased to announce that Horizon Worlds will soon be transitioning to a mobile‑only experience.

                The crowd GASPS. One person FAINTS theatrically.

                USER #1 (THE SHOCKED ONE): But I like playing on my headset! My phone gets hotter than a dragon's armpit!

                META OFFICIAL: Splendid! That means the transition is working as intended.

                USER #2 (THE PHILOSOPHER): The idea of Horizon was magnificent - a grand digital frontier! But the execution was… well… like trying to build a cathedral out of wet cardboard.

                META OFFICIAL: Exactly! Which is why we're removing it.

                USER #3 (THE PROPHET OF DOOM): Next they'll remove the forums! Then the store! Then the headsets! We’ll all be forced to whittle our own apps out of driftwood!

                META OFFICIAL: Innovation often feels like driftwood.

                USER #4 (THE OPTIMIST): Change is good! (thumbs up) Probably.

                USER #5 (THE REALIST): I don't even use Horizon much… But removing it entirely feels like throwing away the fridge because you don't like the light bulb.

                META OFFICIAL: A bold metaphor! We shall add it to our internal feedback compost heap.

                USER #6 (THE PANICKED CREATOR): My sister spent months building worlds! And clothes! And a giant floating disco llama! What am I supposed to do with a mobile app?

                META OFFICIAL: You may enjoy your creations on a smaller, flatter, less immersive screen. It's the future.

                USER #7 (THE CONSPIRACY ENTHUSIAST): I bet the real reason is the data! The AI isn’t getting enough juicy brain‑juice from us anymore!

                META OFFICIAL: We neither confirm nor deny the juiciness of your brains.

                USER #8 (THE HOPEFUL INVENTOR): What about Hyperscape Capture? I want more features! More tools! More everything!

                META OFFICIAL: Excellent news! We are moving it to a new app. Which will be moved to another app. Which will eventually be placed in a filing cabinet behind the water cooler.

                USER #9 (THE OUTRAGED ONE): This is a terrible choice!

                USER #10 (THE OUTRAGED BUT POLITE ONE): Yes, but could you at least tell us what we're getting in return? A trade‑off? A perk? A biscuit?

                META OFFICIAL: You will receive… (checks scroll) …a Surface Keyboard.

                The crowd stares.

                USER #11 (THE CONFUSED ONE): But… that's not even related.

                META OFFICIAL: Precisely! Innovation rarely is.

                THE CROWD (ALL AT ONCE):

                "This is madness!"

                "This is progress!"

                "This is both!"

                "My avatar’s trousers have vanished!"

                "Where do we go now?"

                "Is VRChat hiring?"

                "My phone can’t handle this!"

                "Bring back the disco llama!"

                META OFFICIAL: Wonderful! Your feedback has been noted, categorized, and gently placed in the recycling bin. We thank you for your enthusiasm as we boldly march into a future where VR is… (beat) …slightly less VR.

                The crowd erupts into chaos.

                A man in a knight costume gallops through shouting "Ni!"

                Someone else tries to return their headset claiming it is "an ex‑metaverse."

                A giant foot descends from the sky and squashes the lectern.

                THE END

                  Maccyb123
                  Honored Contributor
                  March 18, 2026

                  steve_40 You have outdone yourself! 😂That's absolutely hilarious!! Love the Monty Python references at the end. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I'm feeling relieved that I never have to suffer from having it forced upon me.  I do feel sorry for the 30 people complaining though. 

                  tanubon
                  Inspiring
                  March 18, 2026

                  Meta's VR division is seriously terrible at business. Even though it has plenty of talented developers and researchers, it's completely squandering that talent when it comes to software and platforms. 

                  Speaking of this news, I was shocked to hear that Hyperscape Capture sharing and invitations are being discontinued. Hyperscape Capture had the potential to be a killer app. It could have been useful in various business contexts as well. I’d really like to know the reasoning behind this decision.

                    3dspace
                    Up and Coming
                    March 18, 2026

                    Absolutely agree. What the hell are Meta thinking?

                    I find it really hard to understand why apparently no one at Meta actually has any idea what they are doing with VR as an aquisition or a field and as a result the whole is in a steady degradation/decline.  It borders on a self inflicted disaster and its destroying the credibility of VR itself. It looks like management is that guy tinkering and dicking around with a non starting lawnmower in his back yard with no understanding of what he is doing. Eventually he is going to sell it off dirt cheap in disgust and frustration as a non runner.

                    After some years now putting quite a lot of money into VR Meta apparently have no vision or commitment or clear purpose. They can't even settle on a UI scheme after all this time. There isn't ever going to be a huge pot of VR gold just waiting to be found but it can be profitable and enjoyable/satisfying/worthwhile. What is the point of throwing money away moving from one failed attempt to another to find that pot of gold. Its futile. Bad management is generating this consistent loss of income, participation, and burning off customers and developers. Its not doing the quality of the coding much good either.

                    We have seen multiple directions and products started and abandonned out of the blue and no dialogue with the people who count. Does anyone at Meta actually care about VR? Perhaps you should sell it off to someone who does. Do your customers a favour. Do it well or leave it to someone else...

                    As for Hyperscape it is a killer app begging to be finished off right. Why discontinue it? Are you completely stupid Meta?

                    Redwizardmatt
                    Participant
                    April 6, 2026

                    I had a business professor who taught it like this. In America most companies project quarterly, maybe yearly plans. Sometimes they project as many as three to five year plans. Meanwhile, in China, they project between three to twenty year plans. The American companies are better at fast growth sometimes. They sure do have spiky profit charts. But they also go out of business often or are bought and traded. Investors get in, ride the spikes, and get out before they go down. Or while they go down. Thats how WE do business. Its not about a plan, its about quarterly or yearly earnings. But over there you have businessess that chart out long sometimes multi decades long plans and they change and pivot as needed but always with a clear focus on how this gets us to our long term goals. Meta is not that. Its not thinking long term. Its sees a few rough years and sees Steam coming as new competition and its deciding to throw in the towel. 

                    Id like to see more tech companies with actual long term plans. You could change the world AND be positioned to make all the money. Buuuuut that would take a few years in the red, so no American investors want anything to do with that. Its not good for their stock TODAY. Thats why we dont see investment into longer term projects unless its something independantly funded, like cancer research. If a technology will make you the richest man in the world, but you have to invest in it for a decade or two to get there, we dont bother. Meanwhile, over in China, thats why they are investing heavily in green energy. And why China and Japan now have robots that can beat olympic gymists and win kung fu matches. Its just a matter of short term versus long term gain. 

                    LadyMorgana3
                    New Participant
                    March 18, 2026

                    What about our clothing stores,can we still create an sell clothing or are you guys taking this away from us as well ?,Tbh,im really disappointed that we will no longer be able to communicate an interact in VR anymore as of June 15th

                    LadyMorgana3
                    New Participant
                    March 18, 2026

                    Hell,id pay an extra 10.00 a month subscription to stay in VR as a standalone app for Horizon Worlds,perhaps this move will backfire on meta

                     

                      Maccyb123
                      Honored Contributor
                      March 18, 2026

                      LadyMorgana3 The problem is that not enough people will. Only around 30 people are complaining about it here and if they all paid $10, I don't think $300 will cover the IT, server or staff costs to keep it going. There were many more people complaining over the years about it's existence than it's disappearance. It's sad for people who used it but not everything lasts forever unless it's making money. 

                      Redwizardmatt
                      Participant
                      April 6, 2026

                      Nobody uses the forums here. And this is an old and redacted post. You know that was a bad faith argument. 

                      If you actually felt "sad for the people who use it" youd keep your comments to yourself instead of trying to explain to them how unimportant they are. Thats not something a particularly good person would do. Whats your goal here? To make other people feel bad or make yourself feel better? What are you trying to accomplish by showing up to pour cold water on people who are having a bad time? Are you just not aware of how human emotions work and how messed up that makes you look? Whats your motive? What gratification do you get out of pouring cold water on people having a bad time? 

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