To allow Meta Xbox, Lenovo, Asus to build new Quest metaverse hardware

Meta recently announced that it is “opening up” the operating system that powers its Quest line of mixed-reality devices to third-party hardware and software development.

The change comes with a new name, “Meta Horizon OS” and a rebranding of the Quest Store to “Meta Horizon Store.” It also brings a trio of high-profile partners in the Asus, Lenovo and Microsoft Xbox brands.

According to a blog post from Meta, each of the partners will work with Meta to develop their own mixed/virtual reality devices.

Asus Republic of Gamers is working on a “performance gaming headset,” though details on what that means are currently scarce. This may indicate that it will be closer to high-fidelity visuals and audio with a focus on multiplayer communication.

Lenovo is going to build its own Meta Horizon OS devices. The Chinese tech giant worked with Meta to develop the company's Oculus Rift S headset before Facebook became Meta and the Oculus vertical changed to Quest.

Microsoft's Xbox brand is also working with Meta to produce a limited-edition Xbox-themed Meta Quest headset. There is no indication that Xbox is getting its own VR devices to compete with PlayStation VR. According to the blog post, it will be a continuation of the two companies' previous Quest headset partnership, which allowed users to play Xbox games on a flat, 2D screen designed in a virtual reality environment.

Meta also announced the launch of an “App Lab” to publish titles from small developers. Based on the wording in the blog post, this will be similar to many game store front “arcades” or independent developer offerings that feature low-priced, lesser-known titles.

“We're starting the process of removing barriers between the MetaHorizon repository and AppLab, which will allow developers to release software on the platform that meets basic technical and content requirements. App Lab titles will soon be featured in a dedicated Store section on all our devices, making them easily accessible to a larger audience.

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