Meta’s Horizon OS could power your next VR headset – no matter who makes it

You know how when you’re after a top Android smartphone, you can pick from different brands? The software experience remains largely the same, but you get the benefits of different UIs or hardware options. Meta wants to do exactly the same thing for VR headsets. The tech giant is opening up its Horizon OS software that powers the Meta Quest headsets to third-parties.

• Read more: Meta Quest 3 review: an impressive, unnecessary upgrade

Meta CEO, Mark Zukcerberg, shared in an Instagram video that Horizon OS (the software behind the Meta Quest headsets) will soon be available on other headsets. The software is getting tailored to run on VR headsets crafted by other big tech brands. Who’s getting in on the action? Brands like ASUS, Lenovo, and even Xbox are set to join in on Meta’s bandwagon. Each brand will brings its own flavour to Horizon OS, with slight differences in UI and other details. Again, it’s pretty similar to Android.

Meta’s game plan is to morph Horizon OS into the software for VR headsets. By leveraging a decade of VR experience – from eye-tracking to passthrough visuals – Meta’s laying down the red carpet for developers. An open Horizon OS will make it easier for developers to create and monetize apps through what will now be known as the Meta Horizon Store. They’ll only have to build one app, and it’ll work with all the top headsets. Meta’s also tossing the keys to its custom tooling and frameworks to make building mixed reality apps a breeze.

Plus, the Horizon social app from the Meta Quest will also join this broader ecosystem, making sure your avatars and virtual shindigs can hop across various devices. And let’s not forget the hardware. Qualcomm is in the mix with specialised Snapdragon processors for the headsets, but specific functions will be down to each brand. When Meta said they would be the future of VR, they might have been right… but perhaps not in the way we thought.

• Related: I thought VR could be revolutionary. Now, I’m not so convinced

Connor Jewiss

About

Connor is a writer for Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. He has been writing for around six years now, with writing across the web and in print too. Connor has experience on most major platforms, though does hold a place in his heart for macOS, iOS/iPadOS, electric vehicles, and smartphone tech. Just like everyone else around here, he’s a fan of gadgets of all sorts! Aside from writing, Connor is involved in the startup scene. This exciting involvement puts him at the front of new and exciting tech, always on the lookout for innovating products.

Areas of expertise

Mobile, macOS, EVs, smart home