Meta announced that it’s shutting down the Spark AR platform on January 14, 2025. This event raises many questions: What does it mean for the industry as a whole and for AR creators who are used to creating content for specific social networks? How can they adapt to these changes? Let’s dive in.
What Might Have Led Meta to End the Project
Since 2015, when DEVAR launched its first venture into the augmented reality (AR) industry (starting with the creation of AR books for children, with over 15 million copies sold to date, DEVAR books are now sold in 75 countries in 27 languages), we’ve witnessed many changes in the immersive technology market.
It was clear to us that both social media or messengers (Facebook/Instagram, Snap, TikTok) and tech giants (Apple, Microsoft, Google, etc.) would find their place in the world of immersive technologies and certainly set the tone in some directions. Without going into a long history, it’s evident that a significant number of AR creators grew up using tools like Spark AR.
However, if we look beyond just one social network, Meta has long positioned itself as one of the ambassadors of augmented and virtual reality. The events and news of this year clearly indicate that one of Meta’s prominent directions is the concentration of efforts on immersive spaces consumed through AR/XR glasses (recall the announcement about Meta’s purchase of a stake in EssilorLuxottica to expand collaboration with Ray-Ban).
Step by step, Meta is preparing users for a new reality: an immersive space that will overlay the real world with various layers. And we are expected to consume this world through AR/XR glasses. By the way, the prototype of Meta’s first consumer AR glasses is likely to be shown at the September 25th conference.
Does this mean that the time of AR filters has passed? Unlikely.
Is a shift in consumption patterns being prepared? Obviously, yes.
Do AR creators have time to prepare and expand their professional opportunities? Absolutely.
Expanding AR Capabilities Through webXR Technologies
Clearly, the technological race in the release of AR and XR glasses and the expectations from them have set a trend in the development of content for immersive devices. A recent survey conducted among MyWebAR platform users showed that 22% of users are already creating content for AR and XR devices, and another 52% plan to do so in the near future for devices such as Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest.
As in any ecosystem, the immersive space creates a colossal amount of opportunities. Today, there are millions of people on the market with professional AR creation skills (and this includes not only programmers but also representatives of creative professions such as designers, marketers, product managers, etc.). Today, a huge number of businesses (from SMBs to Fortune 500 corporations) have already implemented or are in the process of implementing AR/XR technologies into various processes (from training sessions and AR instructions for new employees to campaigns aimed at increasing customer engagement and loyalty).
Just as the internet once enabled the emergence of new entities (such as e-commerce or remote interaction), AR/XR technologies are the foundation of a new environment where we can only imagine how things will unfold, but we can certainly say that many new economic elements will be formed there.
Every business will ask how to enter this environment, just as it once asked, “Do I need a website?” Well, webXR technology will answer a similar and relevant question today.
Over 200,000 users of our AR content creation platform MyWebAR (and the number continues to grow) are already creating mini versions of spaces and assets that will become layers of a holistic immersive world. It is also valuable that all AR experiences are cross-platform and can be integrated into any website, app, or social media. This means they won’t disappear unless the content owner or creator decides to delete or stop them.
New Opportunities for AR Creators
New opportunities open up for talented and creative people with each new turn in the development of technologies and the tools to use them. The “Blue Ocean” opens up for all who are ready to go beyond using only social media to create AR/XR experiences, those who are preparing to take a strong position in the new world of immersive spaces, and who do not forget to leverage the powerful capabilities of Generative AI to enhance both their own and their clients’ experiences.
This is what drives us every day in developing and improving the creative space of MyWebAR.com for the self-realization of everyone who wants to be part of the immersive technology world. No code for non-tech folks, advanced level for code lovers. Generative AI for working with design or creating customized solutions through text-to-code. More than 300 features and a constantly growing library of plugins and partner integrations. It sounds like a fairy tale, but it’s what opens the doors to the world of immersive technologies for every creative talent.
We are happy to welcome everyone to our community! And although every user is special to us, we are especially ready to offer special conditions today for Spark AR creators to start in our ecosystem.
The passion for technology and creativity is what unites all AR creators. Welcome to DEVAR!
Anna Belova, Andrei Komissarov & DEVAR (MyWebAR) team
