Facebook owner Meta said it will license the Horizon operating system for the Quest virtual/mixed reality headsets, as competition from Apple's Vision Pro looms. An operating system is the software that controls hardware devices, and provides the functionality required for user interaction with them.
So far, Taiwanese computer hardware giant ASUS and its Republic of Gamers (ROG) division have signed up, along with Lenovo and Microsoft's Xbox.
ASUS ROG will use Meta Horizon OS to develop a new performance gaming headset, while Lenovo will aim for productivity, learning and entertainment.
Lenovo already has experience in the field, having co-designed the Oculus Rift S headset. Xbox is already onboard the Meta mixed-reality train following last December's announcement of the two companies collaborating to bring games to a large two-dimensional virtual screen; Xbox and Meta will now create a limited-edition Meta Quest headset.
The hardware for the headsets will come from Qualcomm, using the chip maker's Snapdragon range of processors, Meta said.
Meta continues to bet big on virtual and mixed reality for its billions of users, having worked on the technology since 2014 when it bought Oculus VR for US$2 billion. Over the years, the company is reported to have invested over US$46 billion in virtual/mixed reality.
However, Meta is not alone in the VR/MR field, with Apple also developing devices such as its US$3,500 Vision Pro headset which is not yet for sale in New Zealand.
Facebook founder and Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg recognised the competitive threat from Apple, and reviewed the Vision Pro headset in February this year.
Zuckerberg was unimpressed with the Vision Pro, saying Meta's Quest 3 was the better headset.
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