Meta To Shut Down Augmented Reality Studio Meta Spark

(RTTNews) - Meta Platforms Inc. announced its decision to shut down augmented reality or AR studio Meta Spark platform, effective January 14, 2025. According to the social media giant, the decision to shut down Meta Spark's platform of third party tools and content is part of its larger efforts to prioritize investments in other areas and products.

However, the first-party AR effects that are created and owned by Meta will remain, and users will be able to access them on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger apps.

In a statement, Meta noted that the decision to shut down the Meta Spark platform was taken following a thorough assessment, and that it is also shifting resources to the next generation of experiences, across new form factors like glasses.

As per the company, AR effects on Meta Spark created and owned by third-party creators, including brands and wider community of AR Creators, will be removed from Meta products, including Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. Additionally, Meta Spark products, such as Meta Spark Studio, Meta Spark Hub and Meta Spark Player, will no longer be accessible.

If a Facebook, Instagram or Messenger user has already used an AR effect, in a story or a reel, for example, that content will not be affected, the firm noted.

Meta Spark, which was initially launched as a competitor to photo-sharing app Snapchat, allows developers to create digital filters that are overlaid onto videos in the company's apps.

The company said, "When we first launched this platform seven years ago, experiences infused with augmented reality were new to most consumers. Since then, the imagination, innovation, and creativity of our AR creator community has helped extend the reach of AR to hundreds of millions of people across Meta's platforms... This decision is part of our larger efforts to prioritize the products we believe will best serve the future needs of our consumers and business customers alike."

Further, Meta maintained its commitment to long-term investments in new computing platforms that would take users beyond current 2D experiences on mobile.

Among rivals, Snapchat recently announced a developer program called Lens Studio, which will allow content creators to create own AR experiences on websites and other apps. The company also rolled out new generative AI technology that transforms the user's surrounding using augmented reality, allowing phone cameras to create more lifelike lenses while recording a video or taking a photo in the coming months.

Further, Apple is working on several new products, including an affordable version of Apple Vision headset, a newer version of Smart Glasses, and a second generation of Apple Vision Pro, according to Bloomberg News.