Meta Quest OS is now Opened to Third-Party Hardware Manufacturers: Rebranded as Meta Horizon OS

Social media giant Meta is set on widening its reach within the virtual and mixed-reality sectors by extending its Meta Horizon OS to third-party hardware manufacturers, including Asus and Lenovo.

This move, highlighted in a recent blog post by the company, aims to empower partners to design their headsets powered by Meta's platform, marking a significant step towards enhancing the growth of the metaverse.

Meta's Vision for the Metaverse

Meta Horizon OS is engineered for the forthcoming computing era, incorporating advanced technologies such as inside-out tracking for standalone headsets, high-resolution Passthrough, Scene Understanding, and Spatial Anchors for an immersive mixed reality experience. Developers can leverage these technologies to build engaging communities and grow their businesses on this platform.

The social layer of Horizon OS is designed to allow users to carry their identities, avatars, and friends across virtual spaces, facilitating the integration of social features into apps. This aims to connect various platforms, enabling more shared experiences in virtual worlds on mixed-reality devices.

Additionally, the Meta Quest Store and app will undergo a rebranding to Meta Horizon Store and Meta Horizon app, respectively, becoming the primary interface for devices running on Meta Horizon OS. Notably, companies such as Asus, Lenovo, and Microsoft have initiated projects to develop new devices utilizing this operating system.

Collaborations and Developments

Asus is in the process of creating a gaming performance headset, while Lenovo focuses on mixed reality devices catering to productivity, learning, and entertainment. In a unique partnership, Xbox and Meta are collaborating to launch a limited-edition Meta Quest inspired by Xbox.

Furthermore, Meta has joined forces with Qualcomm Technologies, ensuring Snapdragon Processors integrate smoothly with Meta's software and hardware, capitalizing on the chipset's capabilities and customized software enhancements.

Meta also aims to incorporate the Google Play 2D app store into Meta Horizon OS, maintaining the same economic model. Despite these advancements, the broader adoption of Meta Horizon OS by companies beyond Asus, Lenovo, and Microsoft remains uncertain. The future expansion of this market is yet to be determined.