Re:VR's problem isn't friction, it's a lack of meaning: Less...
by unicorn_cowboy on Tuesday January 27, 2026 @11:45AM
(#46782484)
That’s a fair point. Reality Labs covers AR (Orion), neural interfaces, and the Ray-Ban partnership too.
But the 'Metaverse' was the governing thesis that justified that entire strategy and burn rate. Even if the breakdown is 50/50, we still have tens of billions spent on a VR software ecosystem (Horizon) that's nearly empty.
The specific dollar amount matters less than the ratio of 'capital invested' to 'consumer value created'. And there's a big gap between those.
• Meta lost $73B proving that infrastructure without purpose creates ghost towns.
• Hardware friction is a myth: History shows users tolerate massive friction (early smartphones) if the value is clear.
• Beat Saber & VRChat succeeded not because of tech, but because they solved for "embodied meaning" rather than simulation.
• It's time to stop porting 2D concepts to 3D and start building for presence.
But the 'Metaverse' was the governing thesis that justified that entire strategy and burn rate. Even if the breakdown is 50/50, we still have tens of billions spent on a VR software ecosystem (Horizon) that's nearly empty.
The specific dollar amount matters less than the ratio of 'capital invested' to 'consumer value created'. And there's a big gap between those.