Meta has recently unveiled its latest game, Super Rumble, for the social VR application, Horizon Worlds. Developed by Meta’s in-house studio, Ouro Interactive, Super Rumble brings a fresh and groundbreaking experience to the VR platform, signaling a potential new era of more immersive graphics and complex gameplay.
Previously known as Titanborne during its beta phase, Super Rumble is the first game to emerge from Meta’s Ouro Interactive, garnering attention as a significant step forward for the Horizon Worlds platform. Vishal Shah, Meta’s VP of Metaverse, emphasized the game’s significance, dubbing it “more than just a new world” and envisioning it as “the next generation of Horizon Worlds.”
Early impressions of Super Rumble have been highly positive, with testers awestruck by the game’s unprecedented level of fidelity. This achievement was made possible by the integration of imported objects, assets, and textures—a feature previously unavailable on the platform. To accommodate higher-quality games and facilitate developer creativity, Meta rebuilt the underlying technology of the VR platform, empowering developers to import assets created using third-party tools.
Not stopping at Super Rumble, Meta is taking a proactive approach to expand the Horizon Worlds ecosystem with compelling content. The company has granted Ouro and select partners the capability to use the import feature, paving the way for more new Horizon Worlds games set to release within the next six months.
In tandem with the development of Super Rumble and the platform improvements, the Horizon team has been diligently working on a mobile app. Though they had created one a year ago, they were dissatisfied with the result and opted to rebuild it. Once launched, the mobile app will feature cross-platform play, allowing users on mobile devices to interact seamlessly with those using VR headsets.
The introduction of a mobile app with cross-platform capabilities serves a dual purpose for Meta. It not only opens doors to a broader audience who may not possess or be inclined to invest in VR headsets but also offers the potential for increased revenue. Meta’s VR business unit, Reality Labs, reported a $3.7 billion operating loss in the second quarter of 2023, and the company hopes that broader accessibility will translate into a more financially viable future for Horizon Worlds.
Additionally, Meta has been investing in generative AI tools for content creation, aiming to democratize world-building for creators without extensive 3D modeling expertise. These tools promise to empower a wider community of creators to contribute to the ever-expanding Horizon Worlds universe.
While specific release dates for the mobile app and generative AI tools have yet to be disclosed, the ongoing efforts by Meta’s team signify a strong commitment to shaping the metaverse and creating a diverse and engaging virtual reality experience for all users. As Meta continues to develop and evolve Horizon Worlds, we eagerly await their official announcements on these exciting advancements.
