Although Android XR isn’t correctly open-source in the intervening time, Google hopes the OS will run on a number of accomplice headsets. While Samsung is claimed to be the primary to launch an Android XR headset, Sony, Lynx, and XREAL are additionally planning to make use of the working system.
Meta introduced earlier this yr that it intends to open its Quest’s Horizon OS working system to third-parties, however now Android XR presents one other selection for headset makers.
According to Google, Sony, Lynx, and XREAL are on board with Android XR.
For Sony’s half, its SRH-S1 enterprise-focused MR headset could be very seemingly the primary goal for Android XR. When we went hands-on with the headset earlier this yr, the corporate was tight-lipped about whether or not it was constructing its personal platform and the place customers may supply content material from. Android XR makes much more sense for the corporate than making an attempt to construct out its personal XR OS and platform.
As for Sony’s present and future PSVR headsets, we count on they’ll proceed to be tied on to the PlayStation OS quite than change to Android XR.
Lynx R-1 is a long-in-development MR headset that has struggled to make it absolutely to market. Part of that battle, naturally, is constructing out a software program stack that does the whole lot an XR headset must do.
Lynx founder Stan Larroque tells Road to VR the R-1 gained’t undertake Android XR, however future headsets from the corporate will. Making this transfer may effectively put the corporate in a greater place for the long run, by decreasing software program improvement prices and giving its headsets entry to a bigger ecosystem of apps and content material.
As for XREAL—an organization constructing AR glasses primarily made to supply a big floating display that tasks content material from different gadgets—it’s not clear but precisely how they are going to use Android XR. But a superb guess is that will probably be the idea for future gadgets from the corporate.
While each Meta and Google are open to permitting their XR OS to work on third-party headsets, they’re nonetheless the gatekeepers. Neither Horizon OS nor Android XR are literally ‘open’ at this level. Only hand-picked companions can construct on both OS.
But now that each working methods are in play, there’s elevated stress for each to try to be the ‘extra open’ of the 2. That stress may rapidly lead one or each corporations to make their XR OS correctly open for anybody to make use of.
