Meta licenses headset operating system in direct competition with Apple

In the pursuit of creating a more open and accessible metaverse, Meta (formerly known as Facebook) is taking steps to expand its app offerings and attract more developers to its platform. One of the initiatives is the promotion of its experimental App Lab store, providing users with alternative app store options. Furthermore, Meta is even inviting Google to bring its popular Play Store to its operating system, now called Horizon OS.

To support developers in adapting their mobile apps to the Horizon OS, Meta is working on a spatial framework. This framework aims to ease the process of porting applications to Horizon OS, making it more convenient for developers to expand their offerings.

One of the key components of Horizon OS is the inclusion of the Horizon social layer, which is a 3D open-world platform akin to a combination of Roblox and The Sims. Despite facing initial challenges and performance issues on the Quest VR headset, Meta has been working tirelessly to improve Horizon. Recently, Meta introduced a 2D web version of Horizon, allowing users to access the platform beyond the limitations of VR headsets. The company’s vision is to monetize Horizon through advertisements and commerce, transforming it into a lucrative social network.

By inviting other hardware companies to build devices utilizing Horizon OS, Meta intends to extend the reach of its social platform. This move aligns with Meta’s goal of creating a more open and inclusive metaverse. However, specific details about the business terms of the Horizon OS license are still unknown, apart from the requirement to integrate Qualcomm chips.

In a video announcement, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, showcased his vision for Horizon OS. He described a lightweight headset that could seamlessly connect to a user’s computer, enhancing their work-from-home experience. Additionally, he mentioned a headset devoted to immersive entertainment, highlighting the potential for high-resolution OLED screens.

While Meta’s Horizon OS aims to be a viable alternative to Apple’s Vision Pro, Zuckerberg has repeatedly emphasized his desire for Meta to be a more open platform than Apple. He draws parallels between Meta’s approach and the success of Microsoft in the early days of the PC market. By licensing Windows to various hardware manufacturers, Microsoft fostered an open ecosystem that led to rapid growth and innovation.

The development of Horizon OS as an open ecosystem has been a long-term vision for Meta. In an interview back in 2022, Zuckerberg expressed his belief in the power of broad partnerships, citing Microsoft’s success in the PC market as an example. He stated that Meta hopes to replicate this approach in the virtual and augmented reality space, creating an open ecosystem that drives the evolution of the metaverse.

Meta’s efforts to establish Horizon OS as a prominent player in the metaverse highlight the company’s commitment to openness and collaboration. By inviting developers and hardware companies to join their ecosystem, Meta seeks to create a thriving and diverse metaverse that caters to the needs and interests of its users.



Source link