Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth referenced “Horizon’s web version” launching in future.
Horizon is Meta’s brand for its suite of “metaverse” social VR apps: Horizon Worlds, Horizon Workrooms, Horizon Venues, and the soon-to-launch Horizon Home. Each uses your Meta Avatar and each currently requires an active Facebook account for access.
Bosworth confirmed to UploadVR he was referring to Horizon Worlds. He made the remark in a Twitter thread defending Meta’s 47% take of virtual item sales on the platform. Worlds works similarly to Rec Room, allowing users to create their own social games and experiences inside VR by using controllers to place & manipulate shapes, and using a visual scripting system to add dynamic functionality.
https://twitter.com/boztank/status/1514666741183311872
That 47% take is a combination of the 30% Quest platform commerce fee and the Horizon fee, which is 25% of the remainder. Bosworth referenced “When Horizon’s web version launches” to point out that on the web, an open protocol which has no inherent commerce fee, only the 25% Horizon fee would apply.
Back in February Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told investors his company plans to launch “a version of Horizon on mobile” this year. In both cases it’s unclear exactly how Horizon Worlds, an app designed specifically for VR, would work on these radically different platforms. This may be why the executives use the phrase “a version”. It’s possible mobile and web users will be spectators unable to create worlds or engage in all interactions, which would make these versions act as marketing for the full VR experience.
