Meta has boldly declared its ambition to be the “Android of XR.” But there’s another key player in this quest—Android XR itself.
Beyond the usual focus on technical specs, there’s one crucial battleground in the XR race against Apple and Google: flat apps. While flat apps like Spotify, TikTok, Snapchat, and Discord don’t necessarily scream excitement when it comes to headsets, Apple’s Vision Pro has highlighted the immense value added when these familiar apps are integrated into the XR experience, rather than sidelined. Android XR aims to follow suit by opening the door to all Android apps on the Play Store.
Meta’s headsets are top-tier in the gaming world, but there’s potential in XR that stretches far beyond just gaming. Consider giants like Nintendo, who remain gaming-centric versus a computing powerhouse like Microsoft, worth a staggering 43 times more, largely due to its expansive platform. While it’s not a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, the underlying message is crystal clear.
So, who’s got the upper hand in the XR arena—Meta or Google?
On one hand, Meta’s Horizon OS boasts a robust library of immersive apps. On the other, Google’s Android XR reigns supreme with a vast collection of flat apps. Each needs the other’s strengths to truly dominate XR. But who’s facing the steeper climb?
The scales might be tipping against Meta. Immersive app developers are eager to expand. If a popular game can snag an extra 25% of users by moving to Android XR, it’s a no-brainer. Conversely, flat giants like Spotify or TikTok don’t have much to gain by hopping onto Horizon OS; maybe a marginal 0.25% increase, at best. While you might think porting apps to Horizon OS is a breeze given its Android roots, the real stumbling block lies in ongoing support and maintenance for these large-scale apps.
Consequently, it seems Google might have the upper hand in wooing immersive app developers to Android XR, compared to Meta trying to lasso in significant flat apps to Horizon OS. Without these key flat apps, Meta’s headsets might become niche gaming gadgets rather than general computing devices.
That’s definitely not where Meta wants to land. The whole mission behind Meta getting into XR was to steer the ship of the next computing platform before Apple or Google could seize control.
While flat apps might not seem like dealbreakers for XR now, having a platform with a stronghold on both flat and immersive apps will trump one that lacks either. Even if Meta churns out hardware that’s consistently 20% sleeker, faster, or cheaper than Android XR, it’s unlikely to tip the scales if they’re missing those core flat apps.
This challenge is existential for Meta’s XR vision, a puzzle without a clear-cut solution.
