What you need to know
- Horizon Worlds is finally exiting beta after more than 2 years of testing.
- The virtual world is powered by Facebook's social network profiles and is only available for folks 18 years and older in the U.S. and Canada.
- Support for the original Oculus Quest is ending on January 13, 2022 and will only work on Quest 2 after that.
It's been a long time coming, but Meta's Horizon Worlds is finally leaving beta and is now available for all Oculus Quest 2 players who are ages 18 and older and reside in the U.S. and Canada. You can grab Horizon Worlds on the Oculus Store by browsing the app on your smartphone or downloading it directly from your Quest or Quest 2.
Quest users should be aware, however, that support is for the original Oculus Quest is ending on January 13, 2022, and Horizon Worlds will no longer be playable on the headset after that date.
Launching alongside the public version of the app is a new team-based 3v3 laser tag game inside Horizon Worlds, where players can join up with their friends and play virtual laser tag. Meta is also launching brand new mechanics and templates for folks to use to make their own worlds and games inside Horizon Worlds.
Horizon Worlds was originally announced as Facebook Horizons way back in September 2019 before it was rebranded to Horizon Worlds in early October 2021. Over the past 2+ years, Facebook (now Meta) has been tweaking the formula and testing its massive user-created virtual world, throughout that time maintaining an invite-only system to keep the crowds relatively small.
Meta says it uses your Facebook profile for Horizon Worlds to ensure you are actually who you say you are, citing that it ensures a safer online presence versus other similar virtual social hubs like VRChat.
Several community favorite worlds were highlighted in the blog post, including:
- Pixel Plummet: A vapor wave-themed battle royale with an arcade-style retro twist.
- Wand & Broom: Channel your inner wizard or witch as you fly your magic broom around town with your wand at your side.
- Mark's Riverboat: No, not that mark. This one is named after its creator tMARKbirman and is a great way to hang out with friends while enjoying a relaxing riverboat ride.
Soon enough, Quest 2 users will be able to invite their friends into their home spaces with Horizon Home, a replacement for the existing Oculus Home that keeps your favorite home spaces, just with a more social flair. Check out the Horizon Worlds launch trailer below and see if it's something that piques your interest.
Oculus Quest 2
The Oculus Quest 2 is the best way to experience VR. It costs less, works better, and has more apps and games. It's time to jump in and see what you've been missing!
