Meta is making a play for the AI gaming space with the quiet launch of Pocket, a new mobile app that lets anyone create mini-games and interactive experiences simply by describing them in text. The app went live on both iOS and Android late last month, marking the company’s first dedicated gaming product.
Pocket stems from Meta’s acquisition of Gizmo earlier this year, a startup that built a platform for what the industry calls “vibe coding” — using natural language prompts to generate playable software without writing a line of code. The app offers a scrollable feed where users can browse and play creations made by others, alongside tools to build their own.
The transition from Gizmo’s original product is fairly transparent. Pocket’s Google Play listing describes it as “a creative platform for making and sharing gizmos,” borrowing terminology straight from the acquired startup. Screenshots show a familiar interface layout, suggesting Meta kept much of the core experience intact while rebranding and integrating it under its own umbrella.
This move positions Meta against a growing crop of AI-powered creative tools that lower the barrier to software creation. Platforms like Midjourney and Runway have done this for visual media, but game creation is still relatively untouched by the consumer AI wave. Pocket could change that by putting game development tools in the hands of anyone with a smartphone.
For Meta, a gaming play also opens new territory for user-generated content and engagement — both areas the company has leaned into heavily with products like Facebook Gaming and its VR ecosystem. Whether Pocket can break out beyond the vibe-coding enthusiast crowd remains to be seen, but the launch signals that Meta sees AI-generated entertainment as a viable consumer category worth investing in.
Source: TechCrunch
