Meta Opens Horizon OS to Third-Party Hardware Manufacturers, Expanding VR/AR Ecosystem

Meta, the parent company behind virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) products, has announced that it is opening up its Horizon OS operating system to other third-party hardware manufacturers. This means that popular electronics companies like Lenovo, Microsoft, and Asus will now be able to use the operating system in their own devices.

Meta Horizon OS was developed over a decade by Meta as a next-generation computing platform that focuses on people rather than being exclusive to its own MR headsets. This move allows consumers to have more options when it comes to VR and AR technology, and provides a broader ecosystem for developers to build their applications.

For example, Asus’ gaming division Republic of Gamers (ROG) will develop MR glasses specifically designed for high-performance title gaming. Lenovo will leverage its expertise in co-designing the Oculus Rift S and engineering devices like the ThinkPad to develop MRI equipment for productivity, learning, and entertainment. Meta is also collaborating with Xbox to bring Xbox Cloud Gaming in beta version to its Meta Quest headset so that players can access Xbox video games on a virtual 2D screen in AR.

All devices powered by Meta Horizon OS will benefit from Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon chips, just like the Meta Quest 3 already does with Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2. With this move, Meta is expanding the ways app developers can reach audiences and consumers, erasing the limits between the Meta Horizon Store and the App Lab collaboration platform. App Lab titles will soon appear in a dedicated section in the online store on all devices, making them more visible to a wider audience. A new spatial applications framework is also being developed to allow developers to bring mobile applications to Meta Horizon OS or create new experiences for this operating system.