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Meta Pauses Horizon OS Licensing to Third-Party Headsets, Refocuses on First-Party Quest

Meta says a first‑party focus will better advance the VR market.

Overview

  • Meta confirmed it has paused plans to license Horizon OS to other manufacturers, saying it will prioritize building world‑class first‑party hardware and software.
  • Projects with ASUS and Lenovo are on hold, with multiple outlets reporting the devices may not launch as originally planned.
  • The move follows reports of potential Reality Labs budget cuts of up to roughly 30% and a stated shift in investment toward AI glasses and wearables.
  • Internal memos reported by Business Insider describe a delay of mixed‑reality glasses codenamed Phoenix to 2027 and early work on a new Quest device.
  • Industry analysis suggests the pause could push partners toward Google’s Android XR, with Horizon OS’s tight coupling to Meta hardware making third‑party support complex.