Horizon Worlds, the game accessible through Meta’s Oculus VR headset, has been criticized for graphics that look like a video game from the late 90s and early 2000s. A widely circulated screenshot of the game shows a digital avatar of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg against the background of a virtual Eiffel Tower. There also appears the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
The Horizon Worlds beta version was launched in the US and Canada to Oculus headset owners in December 2021. It was later rolled out to all individuals 18 years and older. The game gained 300,000 monthly users by February 2022.
A critic highlighted that the Oculus VR headset is the main culprit as its limited processing power means that it cannot render complex graphics with the same prowess as a PlayStation 5. Another individual said the low-fidelity appearance mitigates disorientation which some vulnerable users may experience with more advanced graphics. He also said Horizon Worlds might be a sandbox environment for Meta to gain insight into what users are willing to pay for in a virtual world; it’s not the ultimate goal of Meta’s efforts.
Zuckerberg had said realizing the metaverse which Meta envisions could take up to 10 to 15 years. In regards to the criticism, he said major graphical updates were on the way, despite the headset’s limited power. Zuckerberg also published a selfie including the basic lighting to illustrate the gadget’s capabilities. But it drew skepticism. The CEO reiterated the importance of creators monetizing user experiences and contributing to the metaverse economy. He envisions that the company will emerge as the gatekeeper of a new virtual economy and take a cut from every transaction in the metaverse.
It should be noted that companies and individuals already earn money in virtual environments such as Roblox.
