In a move that’s bound to shake up the VR industry, Meta is pulling the plug on its Quest for Business program by 2030, marking the end of an era for its enterprise VR offerings. But here’s where it gets controversial: this decision comes just as the company shifts its focus from VR to smart glasses, leaving many businesses and enthusiasts wondering if this is a step forward or a misstep. Let’s dive into the details and explore what this means for the future of workplace VR.
Meta’s Quest for Business program, known as Meta Horizon Managed Services since last year, was the company’s flagship initiative to bring VR headsets into the corporate world. It offered businesses a comprehensive package, including commercial licenses, warranties, priority support, and mass device management (MDM). The program evolved from its earlier incarnation, Oculus for Business, which launched in 2017 with a $900 SKU of the original Oculus Rift. Over the years, it expanded to include enterprise versions of the Oculus Go and Oculus Quest, before rebranding to Meta Quest for Business in late 2023 and eventually to Meta Horizon Managed Services in 2024. Interestingly, last year’s rebranding also made the program mandatory for enterprise use, a move that now seems short-lived.
Under the program, businesses could purchase Quest headsets at their regular consumer price, paired with a monthly subscription. There were two subscription tiers: Individual Mode for $15/month per headset, which tied the device to a specific user’s Meta account, and Shared Mode for $24/month per headset, which offered a streamlined interface with apps and settings pre-configured by administrators. This flexibility allowed companies to tailor VR adoption to their needs, whether for personal use or shared environments. Administrators could manage devices through Meta’s Admin Center or integrate with existing platforms like Microsoft Intune, VMware Workspace ONE, and Ivanti UEM.
But this is the part most people miss: Meta is not just ending the program—it’s also shutting down Horizon Workrooms, its VR meeting software, on February 16, with no direct replacement in sight. Starting February 20, the company will stop selling commercial SKUs of Quest headsets, halt new subscriptions for Horizon Managed Services, and reduce existing subscription fees to $0/month. By January 4, 2030, the program will officially cease to exist, and the software will no longer function. In a farewell message, Meta thanked businesses for their trust and partnership, but the abruptness of the shutdown has left many questioning the company’s commitment to enterprise VR.
This announcement comes on the heels of several other cuts at Meta, including the closure of three acquired VR game studios, the gutting of another, the cessation of updates for its VR fitness service, and the cancellation of the Batman: Arkham Shadow sequel. All these moves are part of a broader strategy to redirect resources from VR to smart glasses, a shift that has sparked both curiosity and concern.
Is Meta abandoning VR too soon, or is this a strategic pivot to a more promising technology? The company’s focus on smart glasses suggests a bet on a more mainstream, wearable future, but it leaves the VR community—especially businesses that invested in Meta’s ecosystem—in a state of uncertainty. What do you think? Is this the right move for Meta, or are they leaving untapped potential on the table? Let us know in the comments below!
