Meta fires 100+ employees from its AR and VR team
What's the story
Meta has laid off over 100 people across its Reality Labs division that develops virtual reality and wearable devices, as per Bloomberg.
The layoffs have mostly affected teams working in Oculus Studios, Meta's in-house gaming division for Quest headsets.
This also includes some employees working on the company's hardware efforts.
"Some teams within Oculus Studios are undergoing shifts in structure and roles that have impacted team size," Tracy Clayton, a spokesperson for Meta, said.
Affected projects
Layoffs impact Supernatural VR fitness game
Among the projects impacted by these layoffs is Supernatural, a VR fitness game that Meta acquired for more than $400 million.
The acquisition was successfully defended from a government antitrust lawsuit, which tried to block the sale.
In an official statement about the layoffs, Clayton stressed that "these changes are meant to help Studios work more efficiently on future mixed reality experiences for our growing audience."
Future focus
Meta's commitment to mixed reality experiences remains unchanged
Despite the layoffs, Meta's commitment to mixed reality experiences remains unchanged.
Clayton stated that "We remain committed to investing in mixed reality experiences, including fitness and games, and our drive to deliver the best experiences possible for the Quest and Supernatural communities remains unchanged."
This statement underscores Meta's ongoing dedication to its mixed reality projects despite recent workforce reductions.
Product performance
Meta's smart glasses sales outpace expectations
While sales of Meta's smart glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban have surpassed expectations, the same cannot be said for Quest sales.
The latest model, Quest 3S, launched last fall, is being sold at a discount of around 10% on some configurations.
This indicates that while one segment of Meta's hardware business is doing well, another is lagging behind projections.