Android XR Poses a Critical Challenge to Meta’s XR Aspirations

Meta has openly expressed its ambition to become “the Android of XR.” Yet, it’s not alone in this aspiration—Android XR wants the same thing.

When it comes to the future of XR, there’s more at play than just specs and features. One pivotal element that could determine whether Meta withstands the mounting pressure from Google and Apple is the support for flat apps.

Flat apps, such as Spotify, TikTok, Snapchat, and Discord, might not be the thrilling draw for using a headset, but Apple’s Vision Pro has demonstrated the substantial value added by integrating the familiar apps we love into the XR world. This keeps us connected, rather than isolated when slipping on a headset. In a similar vein, Android XR is jumping on board by enabling all Android apps on the Play Store to be available, carving its niche in the landscape.

While Meta’s devices shine in the realm of gaming, it’s undeniable that XR’s reach goes far beyond merely gaming experiences.

Consider a company laser-focused on gaming, like Nintendo, compared to one that constructs a multifaceted computing platform, like Microsoft. That’s partly why Microsoft’s market worth is significantly greater than Nintendo’s. While the comparison isn’t entirely apples-to-apples, it sheds some light on the topic.

Now, between Meta and Google, we find ourselves with two XR platforms:

Meta offers Horizon OS with an impressive library of immersive applications.
Meanwhile, Android XR boasts the most extensive collection of flat apps.

Both contenders need to leverage what the other excels in to truly dominate the XR arena. The question is, which has the steeper hill to climb?

The challenge seems more daunting for Meta.

Developers focusing on immersive apps are eager to expand their audience. For them, transitioning a game to Android XR, if it promises a 25% increase in user base, is a no-brainer.

In contrast, big-name flat apps like Spotify, TikTok, Snapchat, and Discord will find little incentive in shifting to Horizon OS, seeing a minimal potential increase, perhaps only 0.25% more users beyond their Android audience.

You might assume, “Horizon OS builds on Android, surely porting apps is straightforward!” Technologically, that’s accurate—the process itself might not be a massive hurdle. Yet, for substantial apps with vast user bases and constant development demands, the real task lies in continuous support and maintenance, which is far from a minor undertaking.

Consequently, Google holds a better hand to draw immersive app developers to Android XR than Meta does in enticing flat apps to Horizon OS. Without a solid lineup of flat apps, Meta’s headsets stand the risk of being pigeonholed as mere gaming consoles rather than versatile computing systems.

That’s exactly the image Meta is keen to avoid. The crux of their dive into XR a decade ago was to claim XR as the “next computing platform” before Apple or Google could stake their claim.

While you might not see flat apps as critical to XR, it’s undeniable that the platform featuring both essential flat and immersive apps will surpass one that lacks either.

Even if Meta creates superior hardware—imagine headsets that consistently outperform Android XR equivalents by being 20% faster, lighter, and cheaper—it might still not matter if they can’t secure those fundamental flat apps on their ecosystem.

This presents a crucial challenge to Meta’s XR vision, a conundrum without a clear fix.