The Meta Horizon platform is Meta’s ecosystem for immersive computing: it includes Horizon OS, the operating system on Meta’s immersive devices, plus related services and destinations such as Horizon Worlds and the Horizon Store. The terms are connected, but they do not mean the same thing.
What is Meta Horizon OS?
Meta Horizon OS is the operating system that powers Meta’s family of immersive devices. It manages device resources and system interfaces, and provides capabilities that apps can use for input, audio, passthrough, sharing, authentication and spatial computing.
It is software, not a headset or a single app. Meta’s current device lines powered by Horizon OS are Meta Quest and Meta VR Glasses. Their form factors, inputs, performance budgets and supported features differ by model, so a capability available on one device should not be assumed to work identically across the lineup.
How Horizon OS, Worlds, the social layer and Store fit together
| Name | What it is |
|---|---|
| Meta Horizon OS | The operating system running on Meta’s immersive devices. |
| Meta Horizon Worlds | A place to discover and visit social worlds and experiences. |
| Horizon social layer | Identity, avatars and friend groups that can accompany people across virtual spaces. |
| Meta Horizon Store | The store and distribution surface for apps and titles; Meta says it is the new name for the Meta Quest Store. |
In practical terms, the OS provides the device environment, the Store is where users find and get apps, Worlds is a destination for social experiences, and the social layer helps people connect across spaces.
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What apps and experiences can run on Horizon OS?
Horizon OS is built on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). It supports Android apps as well as immersive virtual- and mixed-reality applications, web experiences and spatial apps. Depending on how an app is built, it may appear as a resizable two-dimensional panel or as an immersive spatial experience.
Horizon OS does not include Google Mobile Services. In particular, Google Play Billing, Firebase and Google Auth are unavailable as Horizon OS services. Developers porting an Android app may therefore need alternatives for functions that depend on those services.
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- NO WIRES, MORE FUN — Break free from cords. Game, play and explore immersive worlds — untethered and without limits.
- 2X GRAPHICAL PROCESSING POWER — Enjoy lightning-fast load times and next-gen graphics for smooth gaming powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor.
- EXPERIENCE VIRTUAL REALITY — Take gaming to a new level and blend virtual objects with your physical space to experience two worlds at once in your VR headset.
- 2+ HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — Charge less, play longer and stay in the action with an improved battery that keeps up. *Based on the graphic performance of the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 platform vs the Meta Quest 2 platform.
Development approaches
- Android apps: suited to conventional apps that can work as 2D panels.
- Unity or Unreal Engine: options for building immersive VR or mixed-reality experiences.
- Native C/C++ with OpenXR: a route for native immersive development.
- Meta Spatial SDK for Kotlin: for spatial apps built with Kotlin.
- Web apps and PWAs with WebXR: for browser-based or web-enabled experiences.
These are different routes rather than interchangeable labels: the right choice depends on whether the product is a conventional Android app, a spatial app or a fully immersive experience. Meta Horizon Store is the distribution surface Meta identifies for apps and titles.
What capabilities does the platform provide?
Meta’s Horizon OS documentation describes capabilities including controllers, hand tracking, gaze input, microgestures, spatial audio, voice input, passthrough, screen sharing or casting, Meta account authentication, scene understanding, spatial anchors, body tracking and eye tracking. Availability depends on the device.
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- 2X GRAPHICAL PROCESSING POWER — Enjoy lightning-fast load times and next-gen graphics for smooth gaming powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor.
- EXPERIENCE VIRTUAL REALITY — Blend virtual objects with your physical space and experience two worlds at once.
- 2+ HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — Charge less, play longer and stay in the action with an improved battery that keeps up.
- Passthrough blends virtual content with camera views of the physical environment.
- Scene understanding can make information about room surfaces and layout available to an app.
- Spatial anchors and tracking features support experiences that relate digital content to a user or environment, where the device supports them.
These capabilities are platform building blocks, not a promise that every app or headset exposes every feature.
Horizon OS is not Horizon Platform Solutions
Meta Horizon Platform Solutions is a separate set of developer services: APIs, a Platform SDK and utilities that apps can integrate for security, monetization, engagement, social features and user management. Examples include entitlement checks, in-app purchases, subscriptions, multiplayer travel, user relationships, notifications and verification. They supplement apps running on Horizon OS; they are not the operating system itself.
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- 2X GRAPHICAL PROCESSING POWER — Enjoy lightning-fast load times and next-gen graphics for smooth gaming powered by the SnapdragonTM XR2 Gen 2 processor.
- EXPERIENCE VIRTUAL REALITY — Take gaming to a new level and blend virtual objects with your physical space to experience two worlds at once.
- 2+ HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — Charge less, play longer and stay in the action with an improved battery that keeps up.
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Why the name may look familiar
Meta announced the name Meta Horizon OS on April 22, 2024, renaming Meta Quest OS as part of its plan for a broader mixed-reality computing platform and third-party device ecosystem. The current product scope is not limited to a single headset: Meta’s current device comparison identifies both Meta Quest and Meta VR Glasses as Horizon OS device lines.
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