Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced its Horizon OS, opening it to third-party hardware, emphasizing collaboration and innovation. This move comes in response to Apple's closed model, challenging its VR headset with the Vision Pro.
On Monday, Meta took a significant step towards embracing an open model of computing by announcing that it will open up its Meta Horizon OS, the operating system (OS) powering its Meta Quest mixed reality headsets, to third-party hardware manufacturers. This move underscores Meta’s commitment to fostering collaboration, innovation, and free access within the technology ecosystem. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the news in a video posted on Instagram.
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In partnership with leading global technology giants like Lenovo, Asus, and Microsoft, Meta is forging a path towards establishing an innovative ecosystem. This collaborative effort aims to streamline the app development journey, empowering developers to connect with their audiences more seamlessly on the platform. Zuckerberg also extended an invitation to Google to integrate its Google Play app store into Horizon-based headsets.
Leveraging Meta’s longstanding collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., who manufactures the Snapdragon processors intricately woven into their software and hardware systems, this initiative promises innovation and accessibility.
According to the latest global statistics from StatCounter for March 2024, the worldwide operating system market share stands as follows: Android leads with 43.44%, followed by Windows at 27.48%, iOS at 18.19%, OS X at 5.56%, Unknown at 2.56%, and Linux at 1.55%.
Meta’s introduction into the OS market is set to shift its dynamics as early as the next quarter. It appears poised to encourage collaboration, spur innovation, and cultivate a more vibrant ecosystem of apps, experiences, and content.
The Open vs. Closed Computing Debate
Meta’s significant announcement came shortly after Apple’s entry into the VR market with the introduction of its $3,500 virtual reality headset, Vision Pro, in January.
During the launch video on Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg commented, “In every era of computing, there are open and closed models.Apple’s closed model dominated the phone market, where devices are tightly controlled and users are restricted in what they can do. But there’s an alternative.”
Seizing the opportunity, Meta strategically positioned itself against Apple’s high-priced device stronghold, an example of closed computing, by emphasizing the features of Meta Horizon OS, an open model computing platform designed for mixed reality experiences.
By promoting the adoption of third-party hardware, Meta Horizon OS could make mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR) technology more accessible and affordable. This could speed up adoption rates and lead to broader market penetration. Such democratisation could spark innovation in content discovery and monetisation strategies, offering benefits to both creators and consumers.
“Picture a lightweight headset that seamlessly connects to your computer, offering an optimal work-from-home experience.Or envision a headset designed exclusively for immersive entertainment, boasting the highest resolution OLED screens available,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared in the video announcement.
This shift could alter Apple’s strategy, prompting a reevaluation of its closed computing model, pricing, or potential partnerships with Meta to tap into its vast user base of 3.02 billion.
How Meta Horizon OS will enhance gaming?
The introduction of Meta Horizon OS into a new hardware ecosystem is poised to revolutionise gaming experiences on multiple fronts. With advanced technologies such as inside-out tracking, eye, face, hand, and body tracking, Meta Horizon OS promises a heightened level of immersion. Players can expect more natural interactions and movements, making the gaming experience intuitive and engaging.
Further enhancing the gaming landscape is Meta Horizon OS’s focus on blending the digital and physical worlds, opening up innovative possibilities for mixed reality gaming. High-resolution Passthrough, Scene Understanding, and Spatial Anchors enable gaming scenarios where virtual elements are seamlessly integrated into the real world.
The Horizon social layer, extending across the new ecosystem, enables players to maintain their identities, avatars, and friend groups across virtual spaces. This integration of rich social features into games fosters a more connected gaming community and enhances multiplayer experiences.
In terms of content discovery and monetisation, the Meta Horizon Store, formerly known as the Meta Quest Store, provides developers with a platform to showcase their immersive apps and experiences. This dedicated store helps gamers discover new titles and experiences tailored to the capabilities of Meta Horizon OS, while also offering developers opportunities for monetisation and growth.
Designed to bridge multiple platforms, Meta Horizon OS allows players to interact and play together across mixed reality, mobile, and desktop devices. This cross-platform compatibility expands gaming communities, increases the player base, and offers more diverse gaming experiences.
The Meta Horizon app, serving as the mobile companion to Meta Horizon OS devices, ensures seamless connectivity and access to gaming content on the go. Players can manage their profiles, connect with friends, and explore new games, enhancing the overall gaming ecosystem.
Meta Horizon OS, a platform that integrates advanced tracking technologies, offers a range of benefits beyond gaming. It can be used in education, healthcare, remote work, entertainment and media, retail and eCommerce, social interaction, and research and development.
Meta Horizon OS: A countermove?
Apple has consistently been at the forefront of news with its tech contemporaries. In March 2024, Apple faced an antitrust lawsuit from the US Justice Department over allegations of favoring its own products over those of competitors.
Apple’s products continue to be well-liked and lucrative, but the company’s supremacy is being challenged by these issues, which also put its brand’s resiliency to the test.
Earlier CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg criticised Apple for allegedly attempting to impose its own unilateral restrictions on which applications might be installed on smartphones, criticising the company’s dominance over its App Store. He compared Google’s strategy with Apple’s, emphasising Android’s adaptability in letting consumers utilise alternative app stores and sideload programmes.
As Meta continues to invest billions of dollars in creating the metaverse, Apple poses a serious danger to Meta, a major player in the IT industry. Meta revealed an operational loss of $4.65 billion in its fourth-quarter financial report, the most since the end of 2020.
Since the end of 2020, the metaverse division has lost more than $42 billion. On the other hand, Reality Labs’ sales climbed from $727 million to nearly $1 billion in Q4 of last year. With a starting price of $3,500, Apple’s Vision Pro is far more expensive than Meta’s Quest 3 VR headset.
According to the IDC report from April 2024, AR/VR headset shipments in 2023 saw a decrease of 23.5% compared to the previous year, 2022.
According to Jitesh Ubrani, Research Manager for Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers at IDC, Meta’s market share has been gradually increasing since the launch of the Quest 3 and its ongoing hardware subsidisation.
A few quarters ago, competitors like Pico and Sony suffered damage to Meta’s market share. Thanks to its approach of providing low-cost, high-volume goods, which sets it distinct from competitors, Meta’s strong position is anticipated to remain unchanged this year despite the additional pressure from Apple’s arrival and new devices from other manufacturers.
While it’s not explicitly stated that Meta’s launch of Horizon OS for third-party devices is a direct counter to Apple’s entry into the VR headset market with its Vision Pro, it can be interpreted as a strategic move to maintain competitiveness and foster growth in the face of increasing competition from Apple and to bolster its position in the MR and VR market.
