“Meta Horizon OS' was announced. VR/MR headsetMeta Quest' dedicated OS will be rebranded and provided to third parties including hardware specifications. ASUS and Lenovo are already developing compatible hardware.
It is also likely that Meta Quest, which comes with an Xbox controller and Game Pass, will be released. The app store has also been rebranded, with the aim of making it easier for developers to publish their apps in the future.
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A new framework for porting smartphone apps to Meta Horizon OS is also in development, which could make it a strong competitor to Apple Vision Pro.
◆The true identity of Meta Horizon OS
This time's news is“Meta Quest's hardware and software specifications will be supplied to third parties such as ASUS and Lenovo.”It is summarized as follows. Meta Quest uses Meta's own OS based on Android with expanded VR and MR functions. Until now, this OS did not have a clear brand name and was called “Meta Quest Software”, but it will be changed to “Meta Horizon OS”.
By the way, the latest version is v64 (build 64) released on April 8, 2024, and new versions are provided about once every month to two months, and various functions are improved each time. I am. Recent big topics include support for pseudo-full tracking using AI, dramatic improvements in the image quality of MR color pass-through images, and the ability to use Quest 2 and Quest 3 while lying down.
Since it is based on Android, you can also manually sideload and run apps for Android smartphones. Not everything works, but I was able to install and get the Kindle and d Magazine apps working. The great thing about Apple Vision Pro is that it allows you to use iPhone and iPad apps with spatial computing as is, but the Meta Quest series has been able to do something similar for some time.
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◆The app store was the weak point of the Meta Quest platform
However, while Apple Vision Pro has an official App Store, Meta Quest cannot use Google Play as a store. It has been reported overseas that this is because Google turned down Meta's request. The inability to freely install 2D apps was a weakness of the Meta Quest series.
Moreover, Meta's official VR/MR app store, “Meta Quest Store,” doesn't carry many titles. This is because Meta's screening process is very strict and it is difficult to allow publication. Instead, there is a separate distribution system within the official store called “App Lab”. The publishing standards here are more relaxed than those on the official store, and small developers first publish on App Lab, where they gain popularity and trust before being promoted to the official store.
App Lab is also an official distribution system, but App Lab apps cannot be found by searching within the store and are differentiated by being “only available through external links.'' This is a system to maintain the quality of the official store, but it was not well received as it made it difficult for small developers such as indies to seize opportunities.
With “Meta Horizon OS” being provided to third parties such as ASUS and Lenovo, Meta may have been forced to expand its software lineup, and will gradually integrate the App Lab system into the official store. I have stated that. The store name has also been rebranded to “Meta Horizon Store” to make it easier for developers to publish their apps.
◆Can Meta Horizon OS beat Apple Vision Pro?
On the Meta blog“We are also developing a new spatial app framework to support mobile developers in developing mixed reality experiences.”There is also a. I mentioned that it is possible to install Android apps, but just because they work doesn't mean they are easy to use. It may not fit perfectly with Meta Quest's UI, and currently you can only place up to three 2D apps side by side horizontally. The ideal would be to be able to place apps all over the space like Apple Vision Pro.
In fact, when Meta Quest 3 was announced at the “Connect 2023” event in September 2023,“Augments”A demo video of Apple Vision Pro's widget that can be placed using spatial computing has been released, and it was reported that it would be released in 2024. The new spatial app framework mentioned this time may be a framework that includes augmented functionality.
Lenovo and ASUS have joined Meta Horizon OS, which has the potential to become a platform that can compete with Apple Vision Pro by adding Android 2D apps + augmentations to Meta Quest's rich apps and improved MR system. Maybe it's because I thought about it.
◆What will happen to the Xbox version of Meta Quest?
What gamers should pay attention to is:ASUS is a gaming brand“ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers)”I would like to participate as a.ROG has a wide lineup of gaming PCs and gaming smartphones, some with attractive hardware specifications. It would be exciting to see a Meta Quest compatible machine included in that lineup.
The VR game market is the main battleground for Meta as well, and it would be quite bold to invite a powerful rival there, and conversely, it would not be possible without the goal of significantly expanding Meta Quest's VR game market. .
What's interesting is what CEO Zuckerberg said in an Instagram video.“Version that includes Xbox controller and Game Pass”is. Also on Meta blog“Limited Edition Meta Quest Inspired by Xbox”is mentioned.Is this “limited edition Meta Quest” Meta Quest 2, which has been lowered to $199 (31,900 yen in Japan) and is said to be selling like hotcakes among Gen Z fans in the U.S., or is it due to be released this year? rumored“Meta Quest 3 Lite”I'm curious as to whether that's the case.
Will it be sold under the Meta brand or will it be sold under the Xbox brand? Many of Microsoft's hardware products have had a good reputation for a long time, so I hope that products that are more than just OEM products will appear in the future.
It is said that Meta Quest 3 Lite will maintain color pass-through MR while omitting the depth sensor, but if Xbox Cloud Gaming is your goal, color MR is probably unnecessary. I think it would be nice to have something based on Meta Quest 2 that is much cheaper, and if possible thinner and lighter.
The cumulative shipments of Meta Quest 2 are said to reach 18 million units, making Meta the king of the consumer VR headset market. This is still a small number in comparison.
If this Meta Horizon OS initiative is successful, Meta Quest compatible VR/MR headsets and AR glasses released by various companies will be sold in the billions, and an era will come when VR games and the Metaverse will become more commonplace. I hope so.
