Meta lays off more than 100 employees across Reality Labs unit

Meta Platforms is laying off more than 100 people across its Reality Labs division focused on creating virtual reality (VR) and wearable devices, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The latest round of job cuts impacted Reality Labs staff focused on creating VR experiences for Meta’s Quest headsets, as well as operations-focused employees working on hardware, said the source, who asked not to be named as the details were not public.

Meta leadership hopes to streamline similar work being done across two different teams within Reality Labs, the source said.

The Menlo Park, California-based company confirmed layoffs had taken place but did not provide comment on the number of employees impacted.

“Some teams within Oculus Studios are undergoing shifts in structure and roles that have impacted team size,” Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton said. “These changes are meant to help Studios work more efficiently on future mixed reality experiences for our growing audience, while still delivering great content for people today.”

Among those impacted were people working on a VR fitness app called Supernatural, which offers Meta Quest users the ability to train with fitness experts and coaches while using their headsets. In 2021, Meta announced it was buying the maker of Supernatural for US$400 million, but soon faced scrutiny from the US Federal Trade Commission, which sought to block the deal. Meta won court approval to buy the startup in 2023.

BT in your inbox

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Impacted staff are eligible to apply for new roles at the company. The Verge first reported cuts took place.

“We are deeply saddened to share that these changes have resulted in the loss of some of our incredibly talented team members,” Supernatural said in a Facebook post on Thursday (Apr 24), noting that there will be a reduction in workout releases each week.

Clayton, the Meta spokesperson, said the company remains “committed to investing in mixed reality experiences including fitness and games, and our drive to deliver the best experiences possible for the Quest and Supernatural communities remains unchanged”.

Earlier this year, Meta cut roughly 5 per cent of staff – about 3,600 people – in what was described as performance-based terminations. BLOOMBERG