The future of Meta and its push for mixed-reality products to become the norm is hanging in the balance, as Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth claims 2025 will be Reality Lab's "most critical year" — and it could be all to do with Android XR.
In a leaked post spotted by Business Insider, Bosworth states Meta needs to focus on sales in its portfolio of products this year, especially in MR (mixed reality), if its long-term plans are to succeed. In fact, the CTO claims 2025 will be so crucial that it will determine if the company's efforts "will go down as the work of visionaries or a legendary misadventure."
Bosworth also claims that "Horizon Worlds on mobile absolutely has to break out," despite fears of the metaverse never being viable. The leaked memo was sent to Meta employees, aiming to drive urgency to Meta's future plans. It's clearly a critical point for the company, as the CTO even says: "If you don't feel the weight of history on you then you aren't paying attention."
As noted in the post, Meta is set to launch six AI-powered wearables down the pipeline. This is likely referring to the company's rumored first "real" AR glasses in 2027, along with higher-end AR glasses similar to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses that could arrive this year.
Recently, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reported on the state of its AI smart glasses in a leaked all-hands meeting, with the company selling over one million units in 2024. While he states it's a "great start," it will still see an "intense year."
Meta has a big year ahead, and while it's seen plenty of success, including its Reality Labs division posting a record $1.08 billion in revenue, there's clearly more work to be done, seeing as the mixed-reality department saw a quarterly operating loss of $4.97 billion.
Has Android XR spooked Meta?
With the announcement of Android XR, Google's new operating system bringing Android to extended reality (XR) headsets, Meta is set to see fierce competition. Bosworth's comments appear to be signaling that Meta is at risk of losing dominance in the mixed-reality space, hence the apparent push to drive sales for its MR devices.
The first Android XR device, Samsung's Project Moohan, is set to arrive in 2025. We've seen what it's capable of thanks to a Project Moohan hands-on from YouTuber MKBHD, and while it's still in the prototype stage, it impressed with its Gemini AI features. That includes Gemini Live, Circle to Search and more.
There will be more Android XR devices coming down the line, and even Apple AR glasses using custom visionOS has been rumored. With the number of products expected to be in development from competitors, this may have made Meta nervous about its own lineup of devices.
Does this mean that Meta will stop making Quest headsets, smart glasses or mixed-reality devices if 2025 doesn't play out as planned? I doubt it, but if competition is tough, it may have to rethink what devices it will work on in the future.
However, if the past year is anything to go by, I'm not worried about the fate of Meta's plans.
Here's why I'm not worried
Meta may have had some bumps on the road, with its Meta Quest Pro being a fine example, but it's already seeing an uptick in its products, features and overall usability for the masses. And this has been reflected in what Bosworth claims:
"On paper 2024 was our most successful year to date but we aren't sitting around celebrating because know it isn't enough. We haven't actually made a dent in the world yet. The prize for good work is the opportunity to do great work."
Last year, the company made strides with what is possible on its Meta Quest VR headsets, and made it more accessible to everyone with its Meta Quest 3S. I went as far as to say that Meta Quest VR has seen its best year yet, and that's due to the added range of excellent games and apps that will make users want to keep putting on the headset.
From Batman: Arkham Shadow proving that exclusive VR games can shine to productivity apps that allow three virtual monitors on a Meta Quest when linked to a Windows 11 PC, Meta appears to be heading in the right direction. Plus, even James Cameron is getting in on the action with exclusive mixed reality content around live sports and concerts, feature films and TV series featuring big-name IPs.
Even James Cameron is getting in on the action with exclusive mixed reality content around live sports and concerts, feature films and TV series
Then there's the success of Ray-Ban Meta, being one of the best AI smart glasses around. With more AR wearables in the works, with the upcoming products looking promising thanks to our Meta Orion AR glasses hands-on, the company looks to be on the right track.
With rumors of a Meta Quest 4 and even a Meta Quest Pro successor coming up, I hope Meta's plans don't fall flat this year. If it continues to deliver and nail what makes people actually want to use a headset (and add more battery life), then its MR and AR devices should see themselves become the norm.
