What, you thought the metaverse had gone away? Not if Meta and company head Mark Zuckerberg have anything to say about it. The social media giant has just licensed its Horizon OS software to several hardware manufacturers, possibly ensuring that every brand has a semi-affordable virtual reality headset in their lineups.
The idea is a rather smart one on Meta’s part. Sure, the Quest series of headsets are fun to play with but the company doesn’t quite have the hardware reputation other brands can boast. Having new headsets compatible with Meta’s infrastructure (and global domination aims) could mean good things on the horizon for the social media company.
Horizon worlds
Meta yesterday announced its “new hardware ecosystem”, a series of devices powered by the company’s own Meta Horizons OS. It sounds like there are more than just the named companies involved but there are only officially two new headset projects inbound. These are being conducted by Asus and Lenovo, each with their niche to explore.
Asus is supposed to be working on an ” all-new performance gaming headset” to be released under its Republic of Gamers (ROG) label. Lenovo, which previously worked on the Oculus Rift S, has a focus on “mixed reality devices for productivity, learning, and entertainment”. The split is between work and play, with Meta powering the whole lot. This brings us back to that metaverse future, should it ever arrive.
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There is one more project on the way, a collaboration between Meta and Microsoft that will see the release of a “limited-edition Meta Quest, inspired by Xbox”. As with the other projects, there are no visuals or specific details, only the promise that Horizon OS will be behind the whole thing. This announcement is more for the developers, who have some new toys to play with.
“We’re also developing a new spatial app framework that helps mobile developers create mixed reality experiences. Developers will be able to use the tools they’re already familiar with to bring their mobile apps to Meta Horizon OS or to create entirely new mixed reality apps,” said Meta.