In April of last year, Meta took a big step forward by announcing its intention to introduce Horizon OS, its operating system designed exclusively for Quest headsets, to third-party manufacturers. The initial lineup included XR devices from well-known names like ASUS, Lenovo, and even Xbox. But since that announcement, Meta has kept its plans mostly under wraps. However, recent leaks from Luna, a well-known and reliable source in virtual reality circles, suggest that Asus could be the first to launch.
Luna, who has a knack for unveiling upcoming virtual reality tech and software, has accurately leaked several of Meta’s projects before they were officially acknowledged. Notably, Luna revealed the Quest 3S name ahead of its public announcement and detailed features like an Action Button integrated into the headset.
Some of Luna’s revelations came before the Quest 3 launched in 2023, such as a video showcasing room-scanning setup and other software tweaks like allowing users to pin apps to the Universal Menu dock, a feature Meta was testing at the time.
Drawing insights from an undisclosed inside source, Luna now reports that Asus’ Republic of Gamers headset could potentially be the pioneer among third-party Horizon OS headsets to hit the market.
The upcoming device, reportedly dubbed ‘Tarius’, is expected to pack cutting-edge features like eye-tracking and face-tracking, aligning it with the advanced capabilities of the Quest Pro. Rumors also hint at using high-end displays such as quantum dot LCDs with local dimming or even micro-OLED technology.
If this pans out, it suggests Asus isn’t merely duplicating the Quest 3S with a few flashy tweaks like RGB lighting. Instead, they seem poised to offer something distinct from the standard Quest models, which range from the $500 Quest 3 (512GB) to the $300 Quest 3S (128GB).
Of course, while these reports are intriguing, it’s important to remain cautious and not take them as guaranteed facts. Yet, it’s evident that Meta is planning a strategic response to Google’s Android XR, soon to be unveiled with Samsung’s anticipated XR headset, codenamed Project Moohan, which is expected to make its consumer debut later this year.
