Although Android XR isn’t properly open-source for the time being, Google hopes the OS will run on multiple partner headsets. While Samsung is said to be the first to launch an Android XR headset, Sony, Lynx, and XREAL are also planning to use the operating system.

Meta announced earlier this year that it intends to open its Quest’s Horizon OS operating system to third-parties, but now Android XR presents another choice for headset makers.

According to Google, Sony, Lynx, and XREAL are on board with Android XR.

Sony SRH-S1 MR headset | Image courtesy Sony

For Sony’s part, its SRH-S1 enterprise-focused MR headset is very likely the first target for Android XR. When we went hands-on with the headset earlier this year, the company was tight-lipped about whether it was building its own platform and where users could source content from. Android XR makes a lot more sense for the company than trying to build out its own XR OS and platform.

As for Sony’s current and future PSVR headsets, we expect they’ll continue to be tied directly to the PlayStation OS rather than switch to Android XR.

Lynx R-1 MR headset | Image courtesy Lynx

Lynx R-1 is a long-in-development MR headset that has struggled to make it fully to market. Part of that struggle, naturally, is building out a software stack that does everything an XR headset needs to do.

Lynx founder Stan Larroque tells Road to VR the R-1 won’t adopt Android XR, but future headsets from the company will. Making this move could well put the company in a better position for the future, by reducing software development costs and giving its headsets access to a larger ecosystem of apps and content.

XREAL Air 2 Ultra AR Glasses | Image courtesy XREAL

As for XREAL—a company building AR glasses primarily made to provide a large floating screen that projects content from other devices—it’s not clear yet exactly how they will use Android XR. But a good bet is that it will be the basis for future devices from the company.

While both Meta and Google are open to allowing their XR OS to work on third-party headsets, they’re still the gatekeepers. Neither Horizon OS nor Android XR are actually ‘open’ at this point. Only hand-picked partners can build on either OS.

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But now that both operating systems are in play, there’s increased pressure for both to strive to be the ‘more open’ of the two. That pressure could quickly lead one or both companies to make their XR OS properly open for anyone to use.

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Ben Lang
Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."
  • Dragon Marble

    Access to flat apps makes sense for XReal. But anything that has controllers and is intended to play games might have been better off with Horizon.

  • saji8k

    Nice article. But I think the first sentence should read "Although Android XR is not open source,…" instead of "Although Android XR isn’t properly open-source for the time being,…". Google has made their decision, as of right now, Android XR is not open source.

    They have not announced they will make it open source in the future. They have said they are thinking about it, but they shouldn't be given a pass just because of they are thinking about it.

    I am sure Meta is also thinking about or had thoughts about open sourcing Horizon OS as well. I could say "Horizon OS isn't properly open-source for the time being" which is also just as true.

    • foamreality

      If it ever did become open source there would be no issue for Meta. They could implement it in their own headsets. Google will never open source AndroidXR, or there would be little to no reason to adopt AndroidXR over HorizonOS , the latter which supports many VR games already

      • Christian Schildwaechter

        The reason for open source AndroidXR over HorizonOS is the same as now: access to the Play store. Which isn't bound to the Android(XR) source, but to the closed Google Play services, also required for installing Google apps and many Android services

        All Meta could do with an open sourced AndroidXR is making HorizonOS compatible to it. Letting Quest users the Android flat apps they are used to still requires submitting to the Google Play services license funneling all software sales to Google's Play store.

        Play services never were never open source, and with newer Android extensions like Google TV or AndroidXR bound to them, Google effectively closed modern Android. The license also enforces compatibility with Google's Android specification. The open source ASOP version, from which Google moved apps to Play services, is mostly interesting to large companies like Meta or Huawei with the resources to re-create their own services, projects not needing the services, and the homebrew community.

        Companies like Sony already selling Android phones using Play services will stick to AndroidXR, as will smaller HMD manufacturers not molsty interested in VR games, where Meta is still ahead. But with ports being easy and Quest's 10mn active users peanuts to Android, this might not be enough.

        • foamreality

          I understand that, my point was that androidXR will NOT be open sourced precisely because Meta could ignore google play services and provide their own app stores and services, just as Huawei does on their phones. They won't make that mistake again. Google has spent the last 15 years trying to diminish Android ASOP and prevent anyone making it functional without their proprietary apps. The Epic vs Google lawsuit caught up with them, they now want to do it Apples way – completely wall in the entire OS on VR headsets.

  • Nevets

    As for XREAL—a company building AR glasses primarily made to provide a large floating screen that projects content from other devices—it’s not clear yet exactly how they will use Android XR. But a good bet is that it will be the basis for future devices from the company

    No shit, Sherlock!

  • purple duggy

    meh until they abandon it like they abandoned stadia and all their other products. not falling for that again google. you abandoned vr and now want to come back. you will abandon it again on a whim. no thanks