In a big step for the mixed reality industry, Meta announced today which is opening up the Quest operating system to third-party companies, allowing them to build their own headsets. Think of it as moving the Quest ecosystem from an Apple model, where one company builds both the hardware and the software, to more free-for-all hardware like Android. Quest OS is changing its name to “Meta Horizon OS” and at this point it appears to have found two early adopters. ASUS' Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand is working on new headsets for “high-performance gaming,” while Lenovo is working on devices for “productivity, learning and entertainment.” (Don't forget that Lenovo also built the Oculus Rift S, which was poorly received.)
As part of the news, Meta says it's also working on a limited-edition Xbox “inspired” Quest headset. (Microsoft and Meta also recently worked together to bring Xbox cloud gaming to the Quest.) Meta is also asking Google to bring the Google Play 2D app store to Meta Horizon OS. And, in an effort to bring more content to the Horizon ecosystem, software developed through the Quest App Lab will be featured in the Horizon Store. The company is also facebook.com/m/spatial-app-framework/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:developing a new spatial framework;cpos:4;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>developing a new spatial framework to allow mobile developers to create mixed reality applications.
“Mixed reality is transforming the way people interact with computers by integrating digital experiences and physical spaces to achieve new levels of productivity, learning and gaming,” Lenovo President and CEO Yuanqing Yang said in a statement. . “Building on our successful past partnership, Lenovo is bringing together Meta Horizon OS with our leadership and innovation in personal computing to accelerate the adoption of new mixed reality user scenarios such as virtual displays, remote presence, content consumption and immersive training.”
