Meta’s Horizon OS: Opening Up New Possibilities in VR and AR
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has recently made a significant move in the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) space. The company has announced that it will be opening up its Horizon OS to third-party manufacturers, marking a pivotal moment in its strategy to establish Horizon OS as a leading platform for VR, AR, and mixed reality (MR) devices.
The first companies to take advantage of this initiative are Asus and Lenovo. Asus will be introducing a gaming-focused headset under its ROG brand, catering to the avid gamer community. On the other hand, Lenovo will be developing MR devices tailored for productivity, learning, and entertainment purposes.
While not explicitly stated, Meta strongly suggests that these devices will be powered by Qualcomm chipsets, similar to its own Quest 3 headset. Additionally, Meta is also collaborating with the Xbox team to develop a limited-edition “Meta Quest, inspired by Xbox” headset.
To align with the OS name, Meta has rebranded the Meta Quest store as the Meta Horizon store. Furthermore, the company is streamlining the accessibility of content by integrating the Meta Horizon store with App Lab, a platform that allows developers to distribute software that meets specific requirements.
In a bid to expand its ecosystem, Meta has extended an invitation to the Google Play 2D app store to join Horizon OS, offering a familiar economic model for developers. However, whether Google will accept this invitation remains uncertain.
Moreover, Meta is actively developing a spatial app framework to empower mobile developers to create MR experiences seamlessly. This initiative aims to leverage existing tools to transition mobile apps to Horizon OS or develop entirely new MR applications.
With these strategic moves, Meta aims to position Horizon OS as the go-to platform for AR/VR/MR headsets, akin to Windows for computers and Android for smartphones. The company is fostering an open environment for hardware device makers to innovate and thrive, signaling an exciting future for VR and AR technology.
