Due to the flexibility and open source nature of Google’s Android platform, over the years it has been adapted in various forms, whether it be for smartphones, tablets, wearables, and even virtual reality. In fact, Meta has been using a version of Android for its own VR headsets.The company was reportedly developing its own platform, but it seems that the company’s plans are no more, according to a report from The Information (paywall). According to the report, Meta has since disbanded the team that was working on the OS. If this sounds familiar, it’s because it was previously reported in January that this was the case, but Meta denied the report.
However, it looks like it’s true this time round. In a statement by Meta spokesperson Sheeva Slovan, “By embedding more OS engineers directly into our AR and VR teams, we can speed up the development of solutions that are hyper-tuned for each product line. [T]here are several technical directions we’re pursuing to build these and we remain committed to building highly specialized systems.”
That being said, we have to wonder if this was a good decision. Apple is rumored to be working on their own mixed reality device which will presumably be powered by its own OS, giving them greater control over the experience. This could result in Meta being potentially disadvantaged, but we’ll have to wait and see how this plays out.
Filed in . Read more about Android, Augmented Reality (AR), Google, Meta and Virtual Reality (VR). Source: 9to5mac