Meta has taken a significant step in broadening the reach of its virtual and augmented reality ecosystem by announcing that its Horizon OS, which powers Oculus headsets, will now be accessible to third-party developers and hardware manufacturers. Asus and Lenovo are the first companies to embrace this initiative, each planning to launch new headsets powered by Horizon OS, targeting different market segments.
The collaboration includes a ROG-branded headset from Asus, specifically designed for gaming enthusiasts, and a series of mixed reality devices from Lenovo to enhance productivity, learning, and entertainment. Although Meta did not explicitly confirm the use of Qualcomm chipsets for these upcoming devices, the similarity in hardware approach with its Quest 3 headset suggests a continued partnership with Qualcomm.
In a strategic branding shift, Meta has renamed the Meta Quest store to Meta Horizon Store and the accompanying mobile app to Meta Horizon, reinforcing the OS's identity. This renaming aligns with Meta's broader vision of unifying its virtual reality offerings under a coherent brand.
Meta is also democratizing the development process for its platform. By reducing barriers between the Meta Horizon Store and App Lab, Meta is making it easier for developers to publish their software directly to the Horizon Store, provided they meet basic technical and content standards. This move is designed to foster a more vibrant and diverse ecosystem of apps.
Additionally, Meta has extended an invitation to Google to bring the Google Play 2D app store to Horizon OS. This would allow the store to operate under the same economic model as it does on other platforms. However, Google's response to this proposal is still pending.
Further enhancing the developer experience, Meta is introducing a new spatial app framework that promises to simplify the creation of mixed reality experiences. This framework will enable developers to utilize familiar tools to either adapt their existing mobile apps for Horizon OS or develop entirely new mixed reality applications.
With these developments, Meta is clearly positioning Horizon OS as a foundational platform for AR/VR/MR headsets, analogous to what Windows represents for personal computers and Android for smartphones. This strategy expands Meta’s influence in the AR/VR space. It sets the stage for a new era of cross-device, immersive experiences.
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