Meta has teamed up with Microsoft's Xbox to create a “limited edition Meta Quest” headset.
The announcement comes as Meta also announced it turns the Quest software platform into Meta Horizon OS and lets third-party hardware companies like ASUS and Lenovo make headsets that run it.
Meta Horizon OS runs on headsets from ASUS and Lenovo
Meta is renaming its Quest software platform Meta Horizon OS, and it will also run on new headsets from ASUS, Lenovo, and more.
Unlike the ASUS and Lenovo headsets which are described as new headsets, the Xbox headset is described as a “limited edition Meta Quest”. Quest remains the sole brand for Meta's first-party headsets, suggesting this will be an edition of Quest 3, and not an entirely new headset.
The concept image above also suggests this, as it has the exact same band design, shape, proportions and camera and headphone jacks as Quest 3.
According to Mark Zuckerberg, an Xbox controller comes in the box, so you can play Xbox Cloud Gaming without any additional hardware.
Xbox Cloud Gaming comes to Meta Quest
Xbox Cloud Gaming is now available for Quest headsets.
This will be a continuation of the long-term strategic partnership that Meta and Microsoft announced in 2022. So far, it has brought Xbox Cloud Gaming to Meta's XR platform, as well progressive web apps for Word, Excel and PowerPoint. According to the 2022 announcement, the next step in that partnership should be introducing Windows 365, which streams a virtual full-fledged Windows 11 PC from the cloud for a subscription price.