The business announced on Monday that third-party device manufacturers now have authorization to use the mixed reality operating system powering Meta Quest headsets. Three of the most prominent corporations in the technology industry—Asus, Lenovo, and Microsoft’s Xbox—have been the first to announce that they would be building new devices that are capable of running the software.
The open system, which is now known as “Meta Horizon OS,” gives developers access to technologies such as eye, face, hand, and body tracking as well as high-resolution passthrough. Passthrough is a popular mixed reality feature that enables users to view their surroundings while wearing the headset. According to the business, all future headsets will be able to link to the Meta Quest app on mobile devices running iOS and Android.
According to the release, Microsoft is collaborating with Meta to create a “limited-edition Meta Quest, inspired by Xbox.” This is a noteworthy development in the collaboration. Conversely, Asus and Lenovo are creating customized headsets for specific applications. For instance, Asus is working on a headset that is specifically designed for gaming, but Lenovo wants their product to be used for “productivity, learning, and entertainment, respectively.”
The release of Meta Horizon OS coincides with the ongoing competition among Meta, Apple, and Sony in the virtual reality and augmented reality headset markets. Despite the fact that the open operating system is unquestionably a strategic and intriguing move for the firm, the question of whether it will provide Meta with a competitive advantage or whether the headsets that are similar to Quest will ever be popular remains unanswered.
