This quarter, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company will open-source the mixed-reality operating system developed for the Quest 3 and earlier VR headsets. This and another AI development raises a question: Is there renewed interest in the Metaverse?
What’s Happening & Why This Matters
The Horizon OS, co-developed with the Android Open Source Project, will be available to other manufacturers to use in their hardware leading to applications for productivity, sports, and large screen gaming. Additionally, Meta plans to update its Quest app store to become the Horizon Store for users of the Horizon OS.
Meta is positioning itself as an open-source alternative to AR competitor, Apple’s Vision Pro. It may also enable Google’s Play Store to run on the Quest platform. The company’s approach can heat up development of new platforms in the Metaverse. Could a new AR/VR headset be around the corner?
Meta also announced it will delete Oculus accounts on March 29, 2024, if you’re still using the old Quest login method. Additionally, Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, recently criticized Apple’s Vision Pro while praising Meta’s Quest 3, which launched earlier this year. On the flip side, Apple has revealed that the Vision Pro App Store now has 1,000 visionOS apps ready for download by owners of the face-based computer.
TF Summary: What’s Next
So… even though Metaverse talk has quieted down, are recent announcements from the parent company and the developments in the VR space enough to suggest changes on the horizon? What will come next? It seems like the industry, even this quarter, is about to see new competition in the near future.