Meta has announced two new AI‑powered platforms that let anyone craft 2D or 3D games simply by describing them in text, using either a smartphone or a web browser. The tools, unveiled at the recent Meta Connect conference, are called Horizon Create and Horizon Studio, and both run on the company’s Meta Horizon Engine, which is designed to support what Meta calls "agentic creation" – the ability of an AI system to take high‑level instructions and turn them into functional interactive experiences.
Horizon Create is optimized for mobile devices, while Horizon Studio is a browser‑based solution. Despite the different front‑ends, the two share a common backend infrastructure.
This means that assets, gameplay systems, and even the entire iteration history can be moved seamlessly between the mobile app and the web version, giving creators the flexibility to work wherever they feel most comfortable. "Traditional game development can take months, require costly hardware, and demand specialized technical expertise," Meta explained in its announcement. "Horizon Create and Horizon Studio break down those barriers. They let you transform an idea into a playable 2D or 3D title with just a few sentences, and they automatically handle distribution across Meta’s family of platforms when you choose to publish." The workflow is straightforward: a user types a natural‑language prompt that describes the desired game – for example, "a side‑scrolling platformer where a robot collects glowing crystals in a neon‑lit city".
The Meta Horizon Engine interprets the description, generates the necessary 3D models, textures, physics, and code, and assembles a working prototype that can be tested instantly. Once satisfied, creators can push the game directly to Facebook, Instagram, or other Meta services with a single click. Meta has already partnered with a small group of developers who are testing the platforms under the Meta Horizon Creator Fund, which provides financial backing to help creators experiment and refine their projects. These early adopters are receiving direct support from Meta’s engineering teams, and the company plans to roll out broader early‑access invitations over the coming months.
Details about how creators will be able to monetize their games – such as in‑app purchases, ads, or subscription models – will be disclosed later in the year. The launch of Horizon Create and Horizon Studio arrives at a time when other major players are also exploring AI‑assisted game design.
Earlier in 2024, Roblox introduced an "agentic AI" feature in Roblox Studio that can translate textual prompts into design documents, which the engine then uses to build and test game worlds. Meta’s offering differentiates itself by focusing on both 2D and 3D experiences and by providing a unified backend that bridges mobile and web environments.
In addition to the game‑creation tools, Meta used the same Meta Connect event to reveal its next‑generation VR Glasses. These lightweight headsets are marketed as being five times lighter than the current Meta Quest 3, eliminating bulky straps and heavy components.
They feature a 5K infinite‑display built from micro‑OLED panels, delivering crisp visuals and a wide field of view. Crucially, the glasses will ship with Unity support from day one via OpenXR, meaning developers can port existing Quest projects to the new hardware with minimal effort. Unity 6.6 integration brings a suite of tools such as the XR Interaction Toolkit (XRI), XR Hands, and the XRI Simulator, enabling designers to prototype, build, and test VR experiences directly on the glasses or in the editor.
Several studios – including Animal Repair Shop, Schell Games, Amata K.K., Nerd Ninjas, Within, Soul Assembly, Marvelous Inc., and Grounding Inc. – have already announced that they are developing titles for the upcoming device using Unity’s workflow.
Meta plans to launch the VR Glasses in the spring of 2027, with a retail price of $1,299.99. The company envisions the glasses as a bridge between casual mobile gaming and high‑fidelity immersive experiences, leveraging the same AI‑driven creation pipeline to allow developers to quickly generate content that takes advantage of the hardware’s high resolution and low latency. Overall, Meta’s dual announcement signals a strategic push to democratize game development across a spectrum of platforms. By lowering technical barriers with AI‑generated assets and providing a lightweight, Unity‑ready VR headset, Meta hopes to attract both hobbyists and professional studios, expanding the ecosystem of interactive content that can be shared across its social networks and emerging mixed‑reality devices.
The combination of Horizon Create, Horizon Studio, and the forthcoming VR Glasses could reshape how creators approach game design, making it more accessible, faster, and more integrated with the broader Meta platform.