The mixed reality operating system that powers Meta Quest headsets can officially be used by third-party device makers, the company announced on Monday. Three major tech players — Asus, Lenovo and Microsoft’s Xbox — are the first companies to confirm they’ll be developing new devices that run the software.
Now called “Meta Horizon OS,” the open system allows developers to access technologies like eye, face, hand and body tracking and high-resolution passthrough, a popular mixed reality feature where users can still see their surroundings while wearing the headset. The company says all future headsets can connect via the Meta Quest app on iOS and Android devices.
Notably, Microsoft is teaming up with Meta to build a “limited-edition Meta Quest, inspired by Xbox,” according to the announcement. Asus and Lenovo, on the other hand, are building headsets designed for specific use cases. For instance, Asus is developing a headset dedicated to gaming whereas Lenovo wants its device to be for “productivity, learning, and entertainment.”
Meta Horizon OS comes at a time when the VR/AR headset wars between Meta, Apple and Sony continue to heat up. While the open operating system is certainly a strategic and interesting move for the company, the question remains if it will give Meta a leg up in the race or if the Quest-like headsets will even be popular.