Meta is now lowering the age of eligibility to access its famed VR platform, Horizon Worlds, and is now making it available for preteens to enjoy what it has to offer. This latest update will now accept kids ages 10 to 12 years old to the platform. Still, it will have specific safeguards for these users, including the ability to set up parental controls on their experiences.
Initially, Meta launched Horizon Worlds for users at the legal age of 18, and its recent change focused on allowing those from 13 to 17 years old to join the virtual world.
Meta Horizon Worlds Opening Its VR Platform to Preteens
(Photo : Meta)
A recent blog post from Meta Quest is now welcoming adolescents from ages 10 to 12 to join Horizon Worlds, its renowned virtual community which is also its first step into the metaverse. However, it would have specific safeguards that will help protect the preteens from various online harms and potential risks, assuring their parents that they will be kept safe throughout the experience.
First off, preteens would have no access to the Voice chat, and they would be displayed as offline by default unless allowed by their guardians.
Additionally, Horizon Worlds for preteens would have the personal boundary setting turned on at all times and help keep them away from other users.
Parental Controls are Available for Adolescent Accounts
According to Meta, preteen users could only join Horizon Worlds via a parent's account where they would have to ask for access.
That being said, there are parental controls available for legal guardians to set on these preteen accounts. This includes the ability to access various worlds like being asked for approval before joining or automatically allowing them to enter age-appropriate worlds.
What Does Meta Horizon Worlds Offer For Users?
Meta, Quest, and its famed Reality Labs are known for their massive focus on delivering the world's first metaverse experience, but the company is still far from this offer. The closest experience they have available is the Horizon Worlds which Meta introduced in 2021 making it available for public access to users 18 years of age and older.
There are many experiences available on Horizon Worlds, and among these is its main feature of connecting users to their friends, families, colleagues, or online pals through the virtual platform.
Additionally, it also focused on offering safety features that will prevent online abuse or harassment with its introduction of 'Safety Bubbles' in 2022 which offer personal boundaries.
It was only a year ago when Meta lowered the age of eligibility for users looking to join Horizon Worlds, allowing teens from 13 to 17 to access it and explore the virtual community. Now, Meta is expanding Horizon Worlds' access to adolescents from 10 to 12 years of age, allowing younger users to experience it, but could only be done so through a parent-managed account.
