Meta hits the brakes on third-party Horizon OS headsets, opening doors for Android XR

Ben Schoon | Dec 18 2025 - 7:40 am PT

Meta has confirmed that its plans to bring Horizon OS, the software on Quest headsets, to third-party devices have been paused, which is probably great news for Android XR.

In 2024, Meta announced that it would let third-party manufacturers build hardware using Horizon OS, the platform that powers Quest headsets. This would allow brands such as Asus and Lenovo, both having been announced as partners, to build headsets that could access the same ecosystem of games and apps as Quest headsets.

Now, those plans are on hold.

Meta confirmed to Road to VR that it has “paused” these plans and will instead focus on building “world-class first-party hardware and software.”

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We have paused the program to focus on building the world-class first-party hardware and software needed to advance the VR market. We’re committed to this for the long term and will revisit opportunities for 3rd-party device partnerships as the category evolves.

The report adds that hardware planned by Asus and Lenovo are not “likely to see the light of day.”

It’s a huge shift, clearly, and one that may end up benefiting Google’s Android XR efforts. Horizon OS, also based on Android, was an obvious choice for third-party brands wanting to get in on the VR/XR space due to the popularity of Meta’s ecosystem, but Android XR presents a deeper app library, which is probably why Meta has publicly pushed for Google to bring the Play Store to Horizon OS. Prior to both the Horizon announcement and the full launch of Android XR, Google reportedly asked Meta to collaborate on Android XR, but Meta apparently rejected the offer.

With Horizon OS off the table for third-party brands, that makes Android XR the obvious choice, especially as Apple, as usual, has no plans to allow third parties to use its software. Android XR, on the other hand, is entirely powered by third-party hardware thus far, with Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset serving as the launch vehicle, and XREAL’s upcoming Project Aura glasses expanding to another form factor. It certainly wouldn’t be surprising at all if Asus and Lenovo, having now been burned by Meta’s change of plans, jumped on board with Google.