Meta's decision to cut the cord on its Supernatural fitness app has left users feeling devastated and betrayed. The popular virtual reality workout platform, which Meta acquired in 2022 for an estimated $1 billion, will no longer receive new content updates or support from its coaches.
Tencia Benavidez, a long-time Supernatural user, expressed her disappointment and frustration at the news, stating that she felt "betrayed" by Meta's actions. The decision to lay off over 1,000 employees across various VR and metaverse departments has raised concerns about the future of Meta's investment in virtual reality technology.
Supernatural was initially praised for its community-driven approach, with coaches who were seen as authentic and supportive. However, many users feel that this aspect is being lost now that the company has decided to scale back its operations.
"It seems unnecessarily heartless," said Goff Johnson, a Supernatural user. "If it was a bottom-line thing, they could have charged more money... People would have paid for it."
Despite the loss of new content and support, many users are determined to continue using the app. Stefanie Wong, who has been a regular user since the pandemic, stated that she will stick with Supernatural until it's no longer available.
"The community is what we really care about," Wong said. "It's not the app itself."
The decision to cut Supernatural highlights the challenges faced by companies investing in emerging technologies like virtual reality. As Meta continues to navigate its metaverse efforts, one thing is clear: the future of VR fitness and wellness is uncertain.
In a shocking move, Meta has canceled plans for new content updates on the popular VR fitness app Supernatural. The platform, which was acquired by Meta last year for an estimated $1 billion, will no longer receive any further support or updates from its coaches.
Tencia Benavidez, a long-time Supernatural user, expressed her disappointment and frustration at the news, stating that she felt "betrayed" by Meta's actions. The decision to lay off over 1,000 employees across various VR and metaverse departments has raised concerns about the future of Meta's investment in virtual reality technology.
Supernatural was initially praised for its community-driven approach, with coaches who were seen as authentic and supportive. However, many users feel that this aspect is being lost now that the company has decided to scale back its operations.
"It seems unnecessarily heartless," said Goff Johnson, a Supernatural user. "If it was a bottom-line thing, they could have charged more money... People would have paid for it."
Despite the loss of new content and support, many users are determined to continue using the app. Stefanie Wong, who has been a regular user since the pandemic, stated that she will stick with Supernatural until it's no longer available.
"The community is what we really care about," Wong said. "It's not the app itself."
The decision to cut Supernatural highlights the challenges faced by companies investing in emerging technologies like virtual reality. As Meta continues to navigate its metaverse efforts, one thing is clear: the future of VR fitness and wellness is uncertain.
In a shocking move, Meta has canceled plans for new content updates on the popular VR fitness app Supernatural. The platform, which was acquired by Meta last year for an estimated $1 billion, will no longer receive any further support or updates from its coaches.
. I've been using it for a while and loved the community aspect, but now it feels like they're just gonna leave us hanging... Meta's decision is pretty confusing, tbh. I mean, if you're not supporting it anymore, why keep it up? But at the same time, I get how hard it must be to run an app and keep people happy. 
It's like they're trying to cut costs, but are they losing money from all these users deciding to leave? The VR fitness space is pretty competitive now... guess we'll just have to wait and see what Meta does next 
They gotta cut Supernatural lol... its like they forgot about all the ppl who use it 
I mean i'm a big fan of VR fitness myself, but ugh its sad 2 hear that its goin down. The coaches were def one of the best things bout it 
now its just gonna be a shadow of its former self 
i mean i used to love Supernatural too but now i'm good with just doin my own workouts in my room tbh. dont get me wrong tho, it was a cool idea at first but when the money started comin out of it, that's when it lost its magic 
, but now it feels like they're just ghosting us 
. 1000+ layoffs is crazy 
. The coaches were literally the best part of the app 
, and now they're gone? So disappointed 
... still gonna keep using it tho 
, not 'cause I have to, but 'cause the community is real 
. Meta needs to reevaluate what they want to do with VR fitness 
. But now that they're cutting back on content and support...I don't know if it's worth sticking around anymore 
. But hey, if the community is what matters most, then I guess they're doing something right 
. Still, it's sad to see such a promising app just kinda fade away 
. supernat's been around for a hot minute and its user base r pretty dedicated, i guess they're just expecting more support from meta than what's reasonable 
. but hey, its not like u can blame them 4 bein honest...
... but now it feels like they're just phasing it out? 
It's not like they didn't warn us that they'd be scaling back, but still, 1,000 layoffs? That's a lot of people affected 
... can't say goodbye to my virtual workout buddies just yet 
The community aspect was definitely part of its appeal - it felt like a supportive squad, not just some generic fitness app 
. I mean, it's not like they didn't make a sweet profit off of it initially - $1 billion is no joke 
and the VR community really needed that kind of investment 
.
. But, yeah, all that's changed now. It feels like Meta just dropped the ball on VR fitness and wellness, you know? They should've kept investing in Supernatural if they wanted it to be a thing 
. I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I'm still kinda attached to it myself 
. But hey, at least the community is sticking together 
I mean, I get it, maybe they're losing some cash or something, but is it really worth that? 
. It's like, you invest so much time and money into something (or in this case, $1 billion) and then just... forget about it? 
.
... I mean, I know it's not like they're shutting down the whole company or anything, but Supernatural was my go-to fitness app 
.
. I mean, if you were gonna pay for something and they weren't putting in the effort, you'd be mad too 
.
But, like, shouldn't companies invest in things that people actually want to use? 
I feel so bad for Tencia Benavidez she sounds like such a sweetie 
Stefanie Wong sounds like an amazing person btw, I need her positivity in my life