Meta brings its Horizon OS to third-party VR headsets for the first time

It might be all too easy to think that the only VR headset that matters is somewhere in the Meta Quest lineup while the Apple Vision Pro is a different beast entirely. But Meta is looking to change things by expanding the world of virtual reality headsets to include those from other manufacturers - and it wants its Meta Horizon OS to be the software that powers it all.

In a press release detailing the move, Meta said that the Meta Horizon OS is what currently powers the Meta Quest headsets and that it combines the core technologies powering current mixed reality experiences. Now, it wants other companies to produce headsets that can run the same software.

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As part of that new generation of hardware Meta sees the rising popularity of gaming, entertainment, and fitness experiences as a key factor in bringing other companies to the market. Some companies are already working on new devices that are powered by Meta Horizon OS, Meta says, with ASUS ROG at the top of the list. It's developing an all-new performance gaming headset, Meta says, adding that Lenovo is also going to develop mixed reality devices for production, learning, and entertainment.

Beyond that, Meta says that it's already working with Xbox on creating a limited-edition Meta Quest that is inspired by the company's game consoles, although it isn't clear what that actually means right now.

The move is an interesting one and appears to suggest that Meta is all about making sure that there are as many headsets running its software as possible rather than making sure that its headsets are the most popular out there. It's a method that served Microsoft well in the past, and flies in the face of what Apple normally does - and is likely to continue to do with its Apple Vision Pro.

There are new reports that Apple has slashed orders for the Apple Vision Pro due to waning demand in the United States, although it's possible that the new Meta Horizon OS devices will be very different animals. The Apple Vision Pro starts at $3499 for example, and we doubt that we can expect the products mentioned earlier to get closet to that figure. The Apple Vision Pro price is thought to be a key barrier to entry.

It isn't yet clear what impact waning demand will have on the Apple Vision Pro's global launch which is expected to happen before the end of the year, but it's thought Apple is already starting to temper its expectations in terms of sales.