Android XR Poses a Significant Challenge That Could Define Meta’s XR Future

Meta has been quite vocal about wanting to position itself as “the Android of XR.” But it’s not alone in this ambition. Enter Android XR, which is also gunning for the same spot.

Beyond the specs and flashy features, one thing seems poised to drive the outcome of the battle between Meta, Google, and Apple in the world of XR: flat apps.

Suite apps like Spotify, TikTok, Snapchat, and Discord might not initially thrill a headset user. However, Apple’s Vision Pro, with its extensive collection of flat iPadOS applications, has demonstrated the significant value of merging XR experiences with familiar, beloved apps. This makes more sense than cutting users off from them when donning a headset. Now, Android XR is on a similar track, supporting all existing Android apps from the Play Store.

Meta’s devices have carved a niche in gaming, yet it’s evident that the scope of XR goes well beyond just gaming.

Consider the scale: a company zeroed in on gaming, such as Nintendo, won’t match the magnitude of a giant crafting an all-encompassing computing platform like Microsoft. This difference in vision and scope is part of why Microsoft’s market value overshadows Nintendo’s, forty-three times over. Sure, Microsoft’s reach extends beyond computing, but the analogy stands strong.

So, what’s on offer from Meta and Google in the XR arena?

Meta’s Horizon OS boasts the finest immersive app collection.
Google’s Android XR, conversely, claims superiority in flat apps, supporting the widest range of them.

For a platform to lead in XR, it needs a blend of both worlds. But who’s facing an uphill battle here?

Meta seems to be on the tougher side of this fight.

Developers of immersive apps are on the lookout for expansion opportunities. If Android XR proposes a 25% surge in users by porting a beloved game, shifting platforms is a no-brainer.

Flat apps like Spotify and Discord, meanwhile, are unlikely to experience more than a 0.25% uptick by joining Horizon OS compared to their widespread presence on Android.

You might assume, given Horizon OS’s Android roots, app porting is a breeze. From a technical standpoint, yes. Yet, for these large apps with millions of users and frequent updates, continuous support and maintenance is the real battle.

This positions Google to more effectively lure immersive apps to Android XR than Meta is prepared to attract pivotal flat applications to Horizon OS. Without a significant influx of flat apps, Meta’s headsets risk pigeonholing as gaming devices instead of general computing platforms.

That’s certainly a position Meta doesn’t want. Their foray into XR was literally about establishing dominance as the next computing frontier before Apple or Google could secure it.

Even if you find flat apps non-essential for XR, a platform equipped with both significant flat and immersive apps will inevitably outperform one that’s limited to just a single type.

Even if Meta crafts superior hardware, making headsets consistently 20% faster, lighter, and more affordable than Android XR counterparts, the availability of essential flat apps on their platform is likely the true measure of future success.

This predicament poses a fundamental threat to Meta’s XR aspirations, a challenge with no obvious quick fix.