Trusted Leaker Reports Meta’s Horizon OS to Launch on High-End ASUS Headset

In April last year, Meta revealed ambitious plans to make its Horizon OS available to third-party headsets, a move that could significantly expand the ecosystem for its Quest series. Initially, companies like ASUS, Lenovo, and Xbox were pegged to introduce XR devices running the operating system. However, Meta has kept details under wraps regarding these headsets ever since. Now, a fresh report from the well-known leaker ‘Luna’ hints that Asus might be leading the charge in this rollout.

Luna, renowned for providing reliable insights into future virtual reality hardware and software, has previously leaked numerous details about Meta’s projects. Among them was the revelation of the Quest 3S name prior to its official unveiling and the addition of an Action Button to the headset’s design.

One of Luna’s notable discoveries through datamining included an early glimpse at a room-scanning setup video for the Quest 3, shared well before its 2023 launch. Luna has also disclosed several Quest software features ahead of their official release, such as Meta’s experimentation with pinning apps to the Universal Menu dock.

Drawing from an anonymous insider, Luna now suggests that the Asus Republic of Gamers headset might be among the first third-party devices to ship with Horizon OS. Rumored to be codenamed ‘Tarius’, this headset is expected to boast impressive features like eye-tracking and face-tracking, aligning it closely with the advanced capabilities of the Quest Pro.

The display technology of Tarius is anticipated to be top-notch as well, potentially featuring either quantum dot LCD displays with local dimming or cutting-edge micro-OLED screens. Should these details hold true, it indicates that Asus aims to deliver more than just a rebranded Quest 3S with flashy RGB lighting. This device could represent a significant step up from Quest’s current mid-range offerings, which include the $500 Quest 3 (512GB) and the more budget-friendly $300 Quest 3S (128GB).

While it’s wise to approach these leaks cautiously, it’s evident that Meta is gearing up to make strategic moves. This would come as a response to Google’s forthcoming Android XR launch, set to power Samsung’s XR headset, known by the codename Project Moohan, which is anticipated for a consumer release later this year.