Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, announced in a statement that it will begin to trial commercial tools for selling digital assets and services through its virtual reality-based social platform, Horizon Worlds, which is a core part of its metaverse strategy. Meta stated that these tools will initially be available to a carefully selected group of users who create spaces, games, and virtual fashion accessories through the company's platform, designed to provide an immersive user experience accessible via head-mounted virtual reality devices.
The company indicated that, using one of the tools, this selected group of users will be able to sell their accessories or charge for access to specialized digital spaces they build. The social media giant is also testing a program with a small group of Horizon Worlds users in the United States to provide monthly payments to participants for using the new features launched by the company.
In a discussion with early users conducted within Horizon Worlds using avatars, CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated, "We want there to be many amazing worlds, and for that to happen, there need to be many creators who can support themselves and make this their job." The company is heavily investing in virtual reality and augmented reality technology as part of its new bet on the metaverse, a futuristic concept for a network of virtual worlds accessible across various devices, where users can work, socialize, and play.
