Meta Platforms Inc. has unveiled plans to discontinue its augmented reality (AR) studio, Meta Spark, as of January 14, 2025. The social media conglomerate stated that this move is part of a broader strategy to allocate resources toward other priority areas and products.First-party AR effects, which are created and owned by Meta, will continue to be available on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. In contrast, AR effects developed by third-party creators, including brands and the wider AR creator community, will be removed from these platforms. This includes the cessation of access to Meta Spark’s suite of products: Meta Spark Studio, Meta Spark Hub, and Meta Spark Player.Meta emphasized that its decision to shutter the Meta Spark platform followed a comprehensive evaluation process. The company is now focusing on developing next-generation experiences, particularly in new form factors such as AR glasses.Users who have previously utilized AR effects in stories or reels on Facebook, Instagram, or Messenger will not see any changes to their existing content, the company assured.Originally launched as a competitor to Snapchat, Meta Spark enabled developers to overlay digital filters onto videos within Meta’s suite of apps. The company remarked, “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 have helped extend the reach of AR to hundreds of millions of people across Meta’s platforms… This decision is part of our broader efforts to prioritize the products we believe will best serve the future needs of our consumers and business customers alike.”Meta remains committed to long-term investments in new computing platforms, aiming to advance beyond the current 2D mobile experiences.In a competitive landscape, Snapchat recently introduced a developer program called Lens Studio, which enables content creators to design AR experiences for websites and other applications. Additionally, Snapchat has integrated new generative AI technology to enhance lifelike lenses for videos and photos.Meanwhile, Apple is reportedly developing several innovative products, including an affordable version of its Apple Vision headset, a new edition of its Smart Glasses, and a second generation of the Apple Vision Pro, as reported by Bloomberg News.The material has been provided by InstaForex Company – www.instaforex.com
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