[pncnmnp]

I am a bit late to this thread, nevertheless, I wanted to put my thoughts down as well.

Horizon Worlds and the Metaverse were both pitched as a "social" platform. And this in itself is where I believe they went wrong. It fundamentally differs from my limited experience with VR and its potential. I see VR as an "anti-social" platform rather than a "social" one - and I say this in a good way.

When I put on a VR headset, its as if I am shunning my current world. The experiences I find valuable in VR are the ones that elevate that feeling - imagine watching a basketball game courtside, or watching NASCAR while floating right above the track, or watching a live concert happening halfway across the world, or VR tourism (visiting different places anytime you want, from some breathtaking angles - my most memorable experience of this was a video on Angel Falls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_tqK4eqelA), or even the classics like playing VR games and watching movies. I believe that they should have doubled down on providing a much richer "anti-social" experience.

[puppykito]

You should give VRChat a try, the predecessor and more successful version of Horizon Worlds. Everything you described can arguably be done in VRChat WHILE not destroying the social aspect of it! It's really neato and VR is not even required, much less mandatory (but highly encouraged).