Meta Extends Horizon OS to Third-Party Headset Makers

Of late, Meta has been making noteworthy decisions around its products and services. After open-sourcing Llama 3, now Meta is opening access to the operating system of its Quest headset, Horizon OS, to third-party device makers. Initially, Meta is licensing Harmony OS to Asus, and Lenovo, but more companies are likely to join the list pretty soon.

Apart from that, the social media giant has also partnered with Microsoft and is making a gaming-focused Xbox VR headset which is actually a limited edition Meta Quest. Coming to Harmony OS, Meta is working to bring alternative app stores and requesting Google to bring its Play Store to Meta’s headset platform. Meta has also developed a spatial framework for developers to easily port their mobile apps for the VR headset.

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, wants to make its headset a great device for work and productivity. In addition, Meta Quest promises to offer an immersive experience while watching movies and videos.

Licensing Horizon OS to third-party hardware makers may be a move to position itself as the default platform for building VR headsets. Since the Apple Vision Pro is part of a closed ecosystem, Meta wants to be the alternative, especially when Google and Samsung have not filled the space. It’s quite interesting that Google has so far not shown much interest in the VR platform.

By the way, there are reports suggesting that Google and Samsung have partnered to build an XR headset and will use Qualcomm’s chipset. According to a report by Counterpoint Research, the global market share of AR and VR headsets is led by Meta having a massive 72% market share in Q4 2023.

If other companies really want to compete with Meta in this space then they have to build an ecosystem pretty fast. At this moment, Meta seems to be leading the race and tapping other hardware makers into its fold. What do you think about this development? Let us know in the comment section below.