• by Colin Kirkland , April 23, 2024

Meta has announced that the operating system for its Quest virtual reality headsets, now called “Meta Horizon OS,” can now be used by third-party device makers, including leading tech companies Lenovo, Xbox and Asus, which have committed to using Meta’s software to build new metaverse hardware.

In a post on Instagram, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company has been working on the operating system for about a decade and is now focused on building it into a “broader mixed reality and spatial reality OS” to aid in future metaverse development.

Zuckerberg says the “key idea” behind Meta Horizon OS are “a feeling of presence with people no matter you physically are, bringing digital objects like huge screens into your physical space, navigating and interacting with virtual spaces” as well as helping creators and developers build new apps and experiences.

Meta announced partnerships with Asus and Lenovo, which have committed to using Horizon OS technologies like eye, face, hand and body tracking and high-resolution passthrough to build headsets meant for specific use cases, such as Asus’ “performance gaming headset,” or Lenovo’s mixed-reality devices used for “productivity, learning, and entertainment.”

Microsoft says it has also teamed up with Meta to build a “limited-edition Meta Quest, inspired by Xbox.”

As the tech giant continues to compete with Apple and Sony over the creation and sales of new VR/AR headsets, Meta says that all of its future headsets will be able to connect via the Meta Quest app on iOS and Android devices.

Finally, Meta also announced the ongoing development of a new spatial app framework meant to help mobile developers create mixed reality mobile apps.