Reports indicate Meta is hitting the brakes on third-party headsets from Asus and Lenovo. We analyze the strategic retreat, the latest Horizon OS updates, and what this means for the future of the open XR ecosystem.
In a significant strategic reversal that reshapes the competitive landscape of mixed reality, Meta appears to be scaling back its ambitions to establish Meta Horizon OS as the ubiquitous "Android of XR." According to reports surfacing in December 2025, the technology giant is "hitting the brakes" on previously announced partnerships with third-party hardware manufacturers, including ASUS and Lenovo. Instead, the company is consolidating its resources to double down on its proprietary Quest hardware line and its rapidly evolving software platform.
This potential pivot comes nearly two years after Meta famously rebranded its operating system to "Meta Horizon OS" in April 2024, inviting external partners to build specialized headsets within its ecosystem. The shift raises critical questions about the viability of an open XR platform in a market still dominated by vertically integrated players. While the hardware partnerships may be in limbo, Meta continues to push aggressive software updates, with the recent release of Horizon OS version 81 bringing substantial improvements to user experience and multitasking capabilities.
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The trajectory of Meta's platform strategy has been volatile. In early 2024, the company signaled a move toward an open ecosystem, renaming its software to show it was "no longer just for Quest headsets." This opened the door for specialized devices, such as a gaming-focused headset from ASUS's Republic of Gamers and productivity devices from Lenovo.
However, by late 2025, the narrative had shifted. According to reports from 9to5Google and Android Central, Meta has "confirmed that its plans" regarding these third-party devices have stalled. The reports suggest that while the concept of an open OS remains, the immediate execution of third-party hardware releases has been scrapped or indefinitely delayed.
"In 2024, Meta announced that it would let third-party manufacturers build hardware using Horizon OS... [now] Meta hits the brakes on third-party Horizon OS headsets." - 9to5Google
Despite the hardware strategy turbulence, Meta has maintained a rapid cadence of software enhancements designed to improve the utility of existing Quest devices.
Recent updates, starting with the v71 rollout and continuing through the latest v81 release in December 2025, have focused heavily on multitasking and spatial awareness. Key features include:
Furthermore, Meta has fulfilled its promise to developers regarding mixed reality capabilities. As announced at Connect 2024, the company has provided developers with access to the passthrough cameras via a new API, enabling more immersive mixed-reality experiences that blend digital objects with the physical world.
Meta's apparent retreat from hardware partnerships has significant implications for the broader technology sector. By pulling back on the "open OS" model, Meta may be inadvertently ceding ground to Google's Android XR platform, which aims to serve as the default operating system for manufacturers like Samsung.
For the business sector, this suggests that the dream of a fragmented yet compatible hardware market-similar to the smartphone world-is further away than anticipated. Stakeholders indicate that without third-party devices driving competition, innovation in form factors (such as ultra-lightweight visors or high-end enterprise headsets) may slow down, leaving consumers with only Meta's mass-market Quest line or Apple's premium Vision Pro as viable options.
Looking ahead, the industry's attention is shifting toward Meta's internal hardware roadmap. With the third-party distraction potentially removed, rumors concerning the "Quest 4" and a potential "Quest Pro 2" are gaining traction. Reports suggest a dual-model strategy for 2026, likely featuring advanced eye and face tracking as standard features.
While the Horizon OS partnership program may be paused, the operating system itself remains the core of Meta's strategy. As the company refines the software experience with updates like v81, the focus is clearly on retaining user engagement within the Quest walled garden rather than expanding the garden's perimeter through external partners.
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