Meta has stopped developing new content and features for Supernatural, its high-profile virtual reality fitness service. The company cites internal reorganization and says the app will remain online for existing subscribers, but no new workouts, features, or expansions are planned.
According to Meta, users will retain access to Supernatural’s existing library of workouts, and the service’s infrastructure and social channels will continue to be maintained. Development, however, has effectively ended. The move comes despite the app’s strong reception since launch, including high review scores, industry awards, and celebrity partnerships.
Supernatural was a central part of Meta’s early push to position virtual reality as a mainstream fitness and lifestyle platform. In 2021, Meta acquired Within, the app’s developer, in a deal widely reported to be worth around $400 million. The acquisition drew regulatory scrutiny at the time and was defended by Meta as a cornerstone of its broader metaverse strategy.
Part of a wider retreat from VR
The decision coincides with significant cuts at Meta’s Reality Labs division. This week, the company confirmed layoffs affecting around 1,500 employees, roughly ten percent of the unit’s workforce. A Meta spokesperson said the company is shifting investment away from parts of virtual reality development and toward AI-driven wearables.
As part of the same restructuring, Meta is also closing several internal VR game studios, including teams responsible for prominent titles such as Resident Evil 4 VR and Asgard’s Wrath. These closures further underline the company’s reduced emphasis on high-budget VR content.
Meta has not announced a timeline for shutting down Supernatural entirely, and for now the app remains available in its current form. The move nonetheless signals a clear change in priorities, with virtual reality fitness no longer a growth focus as the company reallocates resources toward artificial intelligence and wearable hardware.
