Meta Unveils Horizon OS, the VR Equivalent of Android and Primary Competitor to Apple's visionOS

In a world of mixed reality in full bloom, Meta does not want to let Apple (visionOS) and Google (Android XR) repeat the same duel as in the smartphone market. The company announces Meta Horizon OS, an evolution of the Quest headset operating system, which all manufacturers can use.

The operating system for Meta Quest headsets (formerly Oculus) finally has a name: Meta Horizon OS.

In a blog post published on April 22, Mark Zuckerberg's group announced its intention to share the operating system for Meta Quest headsets with all manufacturers who wish it. The idea is simple: Meta wants to create the Android of VR, so as not to leave Google this pleasure when it unveils Android XR later in 2024.

Big news! Meta has just announced that they're opening up Meta Horizon OS, the operating system powering Quest, to allow others to design more headsets using their ecosystem. Lenovo, Microsoft, and ASUS are among Meta's initial partners. This move could spark a new wave of… pic.twitter.com/xu6A0LfcZX
— Nathie (@NathieVR) April 22, 2024

Apple visionOS vs. Meta Horizon OS

In the world of computers, macOS (Apple) and Windows (Microsoft) are the two main operating systems, with Linux having fewer commercial ambitions.

In the world of smartphones and tablets, iOS (Apple) and Android (Google) are the two main competitors.

In virtual and mixed reality, who will be the major players? Apple, through its high-end positioning, already seems to have earned its place. THE visionOS The Apple Vision Pro is guaranteed to be the iOS of VR headsets. As for the accessible alternative intended for competitors' devices, there is still room to be taken.

Meta announces an Xbox version of Meta Quest 3, with Meta Horizon OS. // Source: Meta

Today, Meta reserves its OS for its own headsets.

In the near future, ASUS and Lenovo will launch virtual reality headsets under Horizon OS, with the same interface and applications as Meta Quest. Enough to make Horizon OS the alternative to visionOS, while waiting for Google which is actively preparing its Android XR. The two could share market share, even if recent history has proven that there is rarely room for a third player (hello Windows Phone).

The Meta Horizon OS logo will be written on the boxes. // Source: Meta

To support the launch of its Horizon OS, Meta announces renaming its application store, the Meta Quest Store. We must now talk about Meta Horizon Store, with the integration of the App Lab part, which was previously a separate application. The Meta Quest application, which allows you to synchronize your headset with your smartphone, becomes Meta Horizon. Quest are Meta's products, Horizon is the OS.

In addition to the OS, Meta will provide brands with various tools to design their own headsets, like Google with Android. Remember that Horizon OS is itself built on an open source version of Android, which makes it compatible with applications from Google's system.

With Meta Horizon OS, the world of VR now has its Windows or Android equivalent. It's up to him to succeed in convincing the public, while this market has never managed to reach beyond a certain audience.