Which virtual-reality social platform did Meta launch publicly in December 2021?

Meta launched Horizon Worlds publicly in December 2021.

Horizon Worlds is a social virtual-reality platform in which people can meet, communicate and create shared interactive spaces. Meta opened the service to adults in the United States and Canada on December 9, 2021, after an earlier invite-only testing period. Users could build environments and experiences using creation tools inside the platform.

The service grew out of Facebook’s broader investment in virtual and augmented reality. It was designed for Meta’s Quest headsets and formed part of the company’s metaverse strategy after the corporate rebrand. Horizon Worlds is distinct from Horizon Workrooms, which focuses on virtual meetings and workplace collaboration.

The name is also sometimes confused with other social VR products, including VRChat and the former AltspaceVR. Those services were separate platforms made by different companies. Meta later expanded the Horizon brand to additional virtual environments and experiences.