According to The Verge, Meta has paused its program to license its Quest operating system, now called Horizon OS, to third-party hardware manufacturers. The initiative was first announced in April 2024 with partners like Lenovo and Asus on board. At the time, CEO Mark Zuckerberg framed it as a move to create an “open model” for the next generation of computing in the metaverse. The stated goal was to give consumers more choice and create a larger ecosystem for developers. Now, less than a year later, that ambitious plan is on hold indefinitely.
The Open VR Reality Check
Here’s the thing: this pause isn’t just a minor delay. It’s a major signal. Meta was essentially trying to do for VR what Google did with Android for phones—provide the core software so others could build the hardware. But the market reality is probably a lot harsher than they anticipated. The VR and mixed reality space is still niche, and it’s brutally expensive to compete at the high end. Why would Asus or Lenovo pour millions into designing and marketing a headset to fight the Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro in a small pond? The business case seems shaky.
What This Says About Meta’s Focus
So what does Meta do now? I think this move shows they’re consolidating. Instead of spreading resources to support partners, they’re likely doubling down on their own hardware roadmap and the core Quest platform. They’ve got the Vision Pro to compete with, and their own AR glasses projects in the oven. Supporting a fragmented ecosystem of third-party headsets is a massive undertaking. Basically, it might have been a distraction they can’t afford right now. The “open” dream is nice for keynote speeches, but the closed, integrated model is where the immediate battles are being fought.
The Bigger Picture for VR
This is a sobering moment for the broader VR industry hoping for a more open horizon. A true multi-vendor OS platform could have spurred innovation and maybe even lowered costs. But without Meta’s full-throated backing, that path looks much less likely. It reinforces that this is still a market dominated by deep-pocketed giants betting on their own walled gardens—Meta, Apple, and to a lesser extent, Sony. For developers, the message is clear: build for Quest first, because that’s where the users are and, for the foreseeable future, where they’ll stay. The open metaverse? It just got a lot more closed.
