Why Isn’t Meta’s Metaverse Taking Off?

“An empty world is a sad world.”

Not the inspiring words one would hope to hear regarding what had been touted as the next frontier of digital, but it is how Meta’s metaverse was described in recent company documents outlining the lack of success the company’s flagship metaverse offering, Horizon Worlds, has mustered over the last year.

Meta originally targeted 500,000 monthly active users (MAU) by the end of this year, however current reporting shows under 200,000 users showing up. For comparison, TikTok generates 1 billion MAUs and Meta owned Instagram clocks in at 1.28 billion. While no one expected Horizon Worlds to compete at scale with these social platforms, the lack of apparent interest, let alone adoption, of a platform so widely promoted gives rise to the question of why? Why are there no people populating Horizon Worlds? The answer may be simpler than the technology.

High Cost of Entry

As of today, Horizon Worlds are only accessible via Oculus headsets, which retail at roughly $400 on the low end. Where many users will shell out for a smartphone at a comparable price, the same cannot be said for a VR headset. These devices are a luxury, and one that many do not see the value in. Reports show that more than half of Oculus Quest headsets are not in use six months after purchase. Even for the…