Meet the Meta Horizon Start Developer Competition Winners

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Earlier this year, we announced the Meta Horizon Start Developer Competition, challenging Meta Horizon Start program members to build innovative, immersive experiences for Meta Horizon OS and compete for a share of $1.5 million across 32 awards.
We were absolutely blown away by the response from our community - nearly 3,000 developers from around the world submitted more than 650 new or significantly updated projects, showcasing best-in-class VR innovation, design, and technical achievement across Entertainment, Lifestyle, and Gaming tracks. Special award categories recognized the best implementation and creative use of new features, including hand interactions and Passthrough Camera Access with AI, as well as standout development with Meta Spatial SDK, Immersive Web SDK, React Native, and Android development.
Between November 5 and December 9, we welcomed new developers to the Start program, hosted 20 educational workshops and Q&A sessions to help the community level up their submissions, and saw deeper connections form between developers, fostering collaboration and creativity across the ecosystem.
As we head into the holidays and the new year, we’re excited to keep this momentum going and continue supporting the growth of our vibrant developer community, but first . . .
We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 Meta Horizon Start Developer Competition!

Best Casual Game ($100,000 for winner, $60,000 for runner-up, $30,000 for honorable mention)

Winner: Tiny Golf⁠ by BRAINZ GAMIFY
Casual mixed-reality mini golf, where all you need is a pinch. Explore tiny courses or create your own with intuitive hand controls and endless creative fun.

Best Social Game ($100,000 for winner, $60,000 for runner-up, $30,000 for honorable mention)

Winner: Saber Punks⁠ by EFish Games
Saber Punks is a VR PvP fighting game featuring projectiles, 12 playable characters, 150+ motion-based combos, and mixed reality mode.

Best Entertainment Experience ($100,000 for winner, $60,000 for runner-up, $30,000 for honorable mention)

First Place Winner: DreamSpace⁠ by Pranay Garg & Shashank Vaibhav
Turn any room into stunning, immersive mixed-reality spaces.

Best Lifestyle Experience ($100,000 for winner, $60,000 for runner-up, $30,000 for honorable mention)

First Place Winner: Inkphony⁠ by Lucas Martinic, Tejas Shroff & Nadja Pirchheim
Everything around you becomes an instrument that you can use to make music and learn composition.

Special Awards

Best Implementation of Hand Interactions ($50,000 each, 3 winners)

Best Implementation of Passthrough Camera Access (PCA) with AI ($50,000 each, 3 winners)

Best Immersive Experience Built with Immersive Web SDK ($30,000 each, 2 winners)

Best Immersive Experience Built with Spatial SDK ($50,000 each, 2 winners)

Best Experience Built with React Native ($25,000, 1 winner)

Best Android App Leveraging Features Unique to Meta Quest ($25,000, 1 winner)

Best Android Utility App ($25,000, 1 winner)

Best Android App for Travel Mode ($25,000, 1 winner)

Judges’ Choice ($30,000 each, 6 winners)

Congratulations to All of Our Winners!

We’re inspired by the creativity and technical excellence shown by this year’s participants. Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry and helped push the boundaries of what’s possible on Meta Horizon OS.
Visit Devpost for more details about the Meta Horizon Start Developer Competition and the Official Rules. Check out the Project Gallery to explore all of the competition submissions.
Not yet a member of the Meta Horizon Start program? Apply now to unlock resources, connect with the developer community, and get ready for future opportunities.
For the latest developer news and updates, check out the Meta Horizon Developer Forum⁠, subscribe to our newsletter⁠, and follow us on X⁠ and Facebook⁠. Be sure to share your projects on social media and tag us!
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