The year 2025 is shaping up to be decisive for Meta and its ambitious foray into augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Meta, recently stated during an interview with Bloomberg Technology that 2025 will be a defining year for Reality Labs, the company’s division dedicated to these immersive technologies. Between resounding successes and colossal challenges, will the future of the metaverse and Meta’s AR/VR products be determined this year? Let’s decode it.
Reality Labs: An ambitious vision put to the test by the market
Since Facebook’s name change to Meta in 2021, the company has invested heavily in developing AR and VR technologies, with the objective of shaping the future of the “metaverse,” a shared virtual space where social, professional, and entertainment interactions are reinvented. Andrew Bosworth, one of the company’s earliest engineers, emphasized in an internal memo published earlier this year that 2025 could be “the year of greatness” for Reality Labs, or conversely, the year when the metaverse would be relegated to “legendary misadventure.”
In his interview with Bloomberg Technology on June 6, 2025, Bosworth reiterated this perspective: “We’ll judge at the end of the decade, but this year seems crucial.” He also highlighted the success of Ray-Ban AI glasses, which have exceeded 2 million units sold since their launch in October 2023. These glasses, which have even surpassed traditional Ray-Ban sales last fall, illustrate the potential of smart wearables to capture consumer interest and stimulate competition.
Ambitious plans for 2025
Meta is sparing no effort in 2025. According to Bosworth, the company is following an “ambitious set of plans” and is on track to execute them. Among the priorities are:
- Improving sales and engagement: Meta is betting on massive adoption of its AR and VR products, particularly through devices like Quest headsets and the Horizon Worlds application.
- The development of new AI wearables: An internal memo leaked and reported by Business Insider reveals that Reality Labs plans to launch “half a dozen” wearable devices powered by artificial intelligence in 2025, although details remain unclear.
- The rise of Horizon Worlds on mobile: Bosworth emphasizes the crucial importance of the mobile version of this XR social platform for Meta’s long-term plans.
However, the CTO tempers expectations: “What we’ll know by the end of the year is whether we executed our plan. What we’ll know in five years is whether it was enough.” One thing is certain: the market, as a lagging indicator, will be the final judge.
The challenges of adoption and competition
Despite promising advances, mass adoption of AR and VR technologies remains a challenge. Bosworth, drawing on advice from Meta’s former COO, Sheryl Sandberg, recalled that “most companies don’t fail because of competition, but because they don’t execute their own plan correctly.” Meta is therefore focusing on operational excellence and product quality to stand out.
Competition is also intensifying. Players such as Apple, with its Vision Pro, and other XR headset manufacturers (Asus ROG, Lenovo, etc.) are positioning themselves in this rapidly expanding market. Moreover, Reality Labs’ financial losses remain colossal: in 2024, the division recorded an operating loss of $17.7 billion on revenue of $2.1 billion, according to Meta’s latest financial reports. Since 2020, cumulative losses are approaching $60 billion.
Artificial intelligence at the heart of the strategy
Meta is not betting solely on hardware. Artificial intelligence plays a central role in its vision. Ray-Ban AI glasses, for example, have benefited from the addition of AI-based features, strengthening their appeal. Furthermore, projects such as the API for customizing and evaluating Llama models show that Meta is seeking to monetize its AI advances while exploring applications for the metaverse and wearables.
In a context where generative AI is experiencing growing adoption, Meta projects that its AI products could generate between 2 and 3 billion dollars in revenue in 2025, with long-term ambitions ranging between $460 billion and $1.4 trillion by 2035, according to court documents recently disclosed.
2025: The verdict for the metaverse?
Will 2025 be the year when Meta’s metaverse establishes itself as a technological revolution, or a risky bet that collapses? For Bosworth, it all depends on execution and market adoption. If consumers don’t fully embrace AR and VR products, even the boldest innovations might not be enough.
Sources
- 2025 will be a ‘pivotal year’ for Meta’s augmented and virtual reality, says CTO | TechCrunch
- 2025 could be a turning point for Meta’s AR and VR ambitions, says CTO – Tech Edition
- Meta CTO: 2025 Will Determine Whether AR/VR Bet Is Visionary Or « A Legendary Misadventure » – UploadVR
- 2025 is a make or break year for Meta’s metaverse vision – CTO Andrew “Boz” Bosworth – Bitcoin Ethereum News