Meta Opens Up Horizon OS to Other Companies
In a move to expand its reach in the mixed reality space, Meta has announced that it will be opening up the operating system that runs on its Quest headsets to other technology companies. The new Horizon OS will be focused on creating purpose-specific headsets for various uses such as entertainment, productivity, and exercise. This move comes as Meta looks to expand beyond its current general-use Quest devices and fend off competition from Apple’s recently released Vision Pro headset.
Three partners have been named so far: Asus will produce a gaming headset under its Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand, Lenovo will make general purpose headsets with an emphasis on “productivity, learning, and entertainment,” and Xbox and Meta will team up to deliver a special edition of the Meta Quest that will come bundled with an Xbox controller and Xbox Cloud Gaming and Game Pass.
The announcement comes as Meta looks to make Horizon OS a more open platform for partner OEMs, mirroring the smartphone market where Google’s Android runs on a variety of devices from multiple companies, while Apple’s iOS only runs on Apple’s own iPhones. This move is significant as it will allow other companies to create headsets that are optimized for specific uses, rather than the general-use Quest devices that Meta currently offers.
In addition to opening up Horizon OS, Meta is also working on a new spatial app framework to make it easier for developers with experience on mobile to start making mixed reality apps for Horizon OS. The company is also looking to remove the barriers between the Meta Horizon Store and App Lab, which will allow any developer who meets basic technical and content requirements to release software on the platform.
While pricing, specs, and release dates have not been announced for any of the new devices, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has admitted that it’s “probably going to take a couple of years” for this ecosystem of hardware devices to roll out. The move is a significant one for Meta, as it looks to expand its reach in the mixed reality space and fend off competition from Apple and other companies. With the opening up of Horizon OS, we can expect to see a variety of new headsets and devices that are optimized for specific uses, and the potential for a more diverse and competitive market.