Two Years ago Mark Zuckerberg unveiled his plans for the “Metaverse” and generated a lot of buzz for the future potential of AR and VR. Today Zuckerberg’s vision of the Metaverse faces challenges.

Meta’s Reality Labs has reported massive losses amounting to $21 billion since last year. While long-term investments were expected, there’s little evidence so far that this massive bet will pay off.

Horizon Worlds, a game by Meta, is one of the closest attempts at creating a Metaverse. It boasts 300,000 monthly users, a fraction of Facebook and Instagram’s user base. User reviews have criticized it for being empty, unengaging, and having outdated graphics.

Another concern is that while Meta’s virtual reality headsets have sold 20 million units they are nowhere near being the transformative tech that Zuckerberg promised. They haven’t reached the mainstream appeal that Zuckerberg envisioned for the Metaverse.

Despite acknowledging the skepticism Zuckerberg remains committed to the Metaverse concept. He believes it’s the direction the world is moving in, even though he can’t guarantee the success of his bet.

Meta’s upcoming VR event, Meta Connect, may shed more light on its Metaverse plans. Expect updates on the new headset, Quest 3, and Horizon Worlds’ expansion to mobile and desktop platforms. Despite skepticism in the tech world, Zuckerberg is doubling down on his Metaverse vision.

The Metaverse might still be alive at Meta, but it faces a tough road ahead to gain widespread adoption.