Mark Zuckerberg claims Quests will still be the most popular headsets after Horizon OS is available on third-party headsets.
If you somehow missed the big Meta news this week: Horizon OS is the new name for the Quest system software, which Meta will also make available to third-party headset makers, starting with ASUS, Lenovo, and potentially LG too.
When announcing the news Meta confirmed it will continue to make Quest headsets. Mark Zuckerberg also told investors that these headsets would be specifically targeted to specific uses, and he believes Meta’s Quests are the most popular “as seen today.” Meta has sold over 20 million Quest headphones to date.
Meta Horizon OS Will Run On Headsets From ASUS & Lenovo
Meta is rebranding its Quest software platform to Meta Horizon OS and opening it up to third-party headset makers, including ASUS and Lenovo.
This suggests that the majority (if not all), of third-party Horizon OS headphone will cost more than Quest. This would be logical. Other headset makers won’t have this additional revenue stream, so will need to make their profit on the hardware itself. Other headset makers won’t have this additional revenue stream, so will have to make their profit on the hardware itself.John Carmack pointed outOn Instagram Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth said he sees Meta’s first-party Quests as being “the most general purpose” headsets, while other companies will build headsets for “dedicated communities who care a lot more about a specific combination of features”.
Earlier this week Zuckerberg listed the kind of third-party Horizon OS headsets he can “imagine” emerging:
“A lightweight headset that pairs with your computer on your desk to provide the best work experience. The headset is aimed at immersive entertainment, such as watching videos and movies on OLED screens with high resolution. The headset is fully optimized for gaming, with all types of peripherals supported and support for haptics. “
- A headset “designed for exercise that’s extra-light with sweat-wicking materials”.
- While it’s possible some headset makers might target some of these use cases by delivering lower-end hardware than Quest 3, it seems more likely they’ll instead use more and/or higher-spec components or more costly designs to target a smaller audience with a higher price that includes a hardware margin. It could be external batteries or rear ones, face and/or eye tracking sensors, better cooling fans or micro-OLED screens. ASUS announced that it would release “a performance gaming headset” with its Republic of Gamers brand. Lenovo said they will launch a headset line focused on productivity, learning and entertainment. Keep an eye on this space for more details later in the year.