Unlocking the Value: Why Meta Quest Horizon OS Makes Third-Party VR Headgear a Must-Invest

Some updates on the metaverse. Today we’re opening up Meta Horizon OS — our operating system powering Quest — so others can design more headsets in our ecosystem. Lenovo, Microsoft, and ASUS are some of our first partners, with more coming too. Looking forward to a new wave of headsets focused on productivity, entertainment, gaming, exercise, and more!

Indeed, Xbox and Meta have embarked on crafting their distinctively themed Quest, yet numerous prominent corporations are delving into Horizon OS.

The aspirations of Meta’s metaverse might at last come to fruition this spring, as it relinquishes attempts to confine itself within its own enclosed sanctuary brimming with Meta Quest 3 headsets. Commencing today, the Zuckerberg-led entity introduces its proprietary operating system ecosystem, christened Horizon OS. Coupled with forthcoming headgear from major PC manufacturers, the utility of VR may finally see a substantial rise. Moreover, Xbox and Meta have aligned to unveil their exclusive Quest in the near future.

Horizon OS stands as a novel VR ecosystem akin to Android, facilitating other headgear producers to integrate Meta’s framework into their products. Interestingly, the extant OS on Quest headsets is founded on Android, albeit boasting its own application marketplace dubbed the Meta Quest Store. However, now a broader spectrum of hardware developers can fashion their own Quest-like apparatus. Concurrently, the store undergoes a rechristening to the Horizon Store to align with the novel OS nomenclature.

Thus far, Meta has substantiated that Asus’ gaming division, ROG, alongside Lenovo (instrumental in co-designing the Oculus Rift S), are in the process of crafting their distinct VR headsets incorporating Horizon OS. According to Meta, both shall be fashioned utilizing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processors.

Mark Zuckerberg firing shots at Apple and releasing an open Meta Horizon OS for the metaverse and spatial computing on the Quest.

2 of the most valuable company on earth fighting for the future of computing. Bullish af GPUs $RENDER $NVDA 🚀🚀 pic.twitter.com/D52xlM843G
— MachineAlpha ⭕️ (@Machine4lpha) April 22, 2024

Curious about the inclusion of a Horizon Worlds-inspired individual donning a black and green Meta Quest 3 in the primary illustration? That is Meta’s subtle nod to an impending Xbox-themed Quest. Details are scant regarding whether this iteration shall deviate from the standard Quest save for its distinct color scheme, though it does align with Xbox and Meta’s strategies, particularly since Game Pass achieved full interoperability with Quest’s OS late last year. Similarly, Valve’s Steam VR features a dedicated application on Quest, simplifying the streaming of Steam games to Quest headsets, provided one possesses a computer equipped for running said titles.

In a presentation, Meta CEO, BJJ aficionado, and perpetual innovator Mark Zuckerberg likened the newfound open Horizon OS to Apple’s iOS. While the iPhone operates as a confined system constraining user access, his company’s fresh OS bears closer resemblance to the “PC model.” Zuckerberg endeavors to dub the Quest’s “spatial computing OS” (a phrase increasingly popular due to Apple’s usage) as one of the most utilized devices in the VR domain.

The rationale behind Meta’s jabs at Apple appears evident. The $3,500 Vision Pro, unveiled merely two months prior, boasted commendable passthrough capabilities but remained an ultra-premium offering accessible to only a select few. Zuckerberg ventures to assert that his company’s Quest 3 surpasses Apple’s latest VR/AR offering.

The VR headset market has not experienced significant growth in recent years, but with this announcement, there arises potential for expansion. We eagerly anticipate a successor to the Valve Index, particularly given the enhanced user interface of Steam VR 2.0. What truly intrigues is how Horizon OS might revolutionize the entire VR landscape. Even amidst less prominent releases, companies persist in creating new, high-caliber headsets that could benefit from Meta’s ecosystem offering a user-friendly interface.