The Mark Zuckerbergs allow external partners to use Meta Horizon OS as well, so more people were encouraged to enter the category.
Meta, known primarily for its social media interests, has been trying to make the metaverse concept a success for years, but the hype around artificial intelligence seems to have taken the wind out of the topic’s sails, and lately the AR/VR headsets that are at the heart of the whole idea seem to be suffering. .
Based on the rumors, at least there is not much interest in PlayStation VR2, Apple Vision Pro and Meta’s own device, Quest 3, but the company led by Mark Zuckerberg is now trying to turn the game around with a sharp change of strategy.
Meta recently announced that it will make the operating system that drives Quest headsets available to third parties, which now runs under the name Meta Horizon OS, and according to the developer’s hopes, this move will expand it into a much larger ecosystem. The company also revealed that it is already working with three major partners: ASUS’ gamer sub-brand ROG, as well as Lenovo and Microsoft are also on board.
Based on the relevant blog post, ASUS ROG is developing a performance-focused gaming headset, while Lenovo is coming up with a product based on mixed reality, focusing on productivity, creativity and entertainment. The cuckoo’s egg is the Xbox, which does not come with its own headset, but instead works on a limited edition “Xbox-inspired” Quest together with Meta.
The company will also make it easier for developers to upload applications created in the App Lab to the Meta Horizon OS application store, where there will be a separate tab for such programs. App Lab is a software toolkit that simplifies the development process, so you don’t need a lot of professional experience to use it. Meta hopes the move will significantly expand the range of apps available on the headsets.
Time and, of course, the devices that will eventually be born will decide whether the wider availability of Horizon OS will give VR a new boost, but it can definitely bring new revenues for Meta, which lives primarily on data collection and the sale of targeted ads. . And the interest of potential partners can be increased by the fact that the still marketed Quest 2 is the world’s best-selling headset, which means that Meta has plenty of experience in the field.
