Meta Platforms Inc. today announced plans to make Meta Horizon OS, the operating system that powers its mixed reality headsets, available to third-party device makers.

Microsoft Corp., Lenovo Group Ltd. and ASUSTeK Computer Inc. will be among the software’s first adopters. The companies plan to bring new mixed reality devices to market that will use Horizon OS to power their core features.

The predecessor to Horizon OS was created by Oculus VR Inc., a consumer hardware startup that Meta acquired in 2014 to jumpstart its mixed reality efforts. The platform started out as a modified version of Google LLC’s Android operating system. Over the years, Meta extended the original code base with a range of additional features designed to enhance the user experience. 

One of the technologies the company added is a software tool called Spatial Anchors. Using the feature, developers can create mixed reality content that only renders at specific locations. A chess app, for example, could configure its virtual chess pieces to render above real-world tables.

Meta also equipped Horizon OS with a set of hand- and eye-tracking capabilities. That feature bundle allows consumers to interact with mixed reality content using hand gestures. Another Horizon OS capability, Passthrough, leverages a mixed reality headset’s built-in cameras to let the wearer see through the device.

The operating system is optimized to run on Qualcomm Inc.’s XR2 Gen 2 chip, which is specifically designed to power mixed reality systems. The processor ships with specialized circuits that can speed up hand- and eye-recognition software. According to Qualcomm, there’s also an on-board graphics processing unit that is more than twice as fast as the one in its previous-generation mixed reality chip.

Hardware makers that adopt Horizon OS can base their headsets on the XR2 Gen 2. Meanwhile, software teams who build apps for those headsets will have access to a new development framework detailed today by Meta. The company says the framework can be used not only to build mixed reality services, but also to make existing mobile apps compatible with a Horizon OS headset.

Three major industry players have already signed up to use the operating system. Microsoft is working with Meta to develop a limited-edition mixed reality headset inspired by its Xbox video game console, while Asus is building a “performance gaming headset.” Lenovo, in turn, plans to launch a series of mixed reality devices geared toward productivity, learning and entertainment applications.

Meta’s move to make Horizon OS available for hardware partners comes a few months after it started shipping the Quest 3, the latest addition to its line of mixed reality headsets. The device features a more ergonomic design than its predecessors and sharper displays. It uses Qualcomm’s XR2 Gen 2 chip for mixed reality devices to run apps.

Image: Meta