Meta is cutting 1,500 jobs from its VR division

Business Jan 13, 2026

Meta (the company behind Facebook and Instagram) is laying off 1,500 people from Reality Labs, the team focused on virtual reality. That's about 10% of the division.
The move comes after Meta shifted its priorities last month—moving away from some VR projects to put more resources into AI and smart glasses.

What's next for Meta's VR plans?

Even though Meta Quest headsets sold well over the holidays, their social VR world Horizon Worlds didn't catch on as hoped.
Now, Meta is focusing on building a lighter VR headset expected in 2026 or 2027 and dropping plans to share its Horizon OS with other companies.
CTO Andrew Bosworth is reportedly calling a key meeting on January 14, likely to publicly announce the changes to Reality Labs.