Xbox is finally creating a VR headset, but it's not what you think

Xbox has been toying around with the idea of entering the VR gaming space for years. When it was on the cusp of launching the Xbox One X console (codenamed Project Scorpio), the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, touted it as powerful enough to handle VR gaming. At the time, Sony had the PlayStation VR, a niche but successful add-on for the PlayStation 4.

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Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming on the Meta Quest.

Fast forward to 2024, and Xbox is more than a console platform, with cloud gaming, PC Game Pass, and the new owners of Activision Blizzard and all of its PC and mobile properties. Although Sony released a PlayStation VR2 refresh for the PlayStation 5 console, it has failed to meet sales expectations or reach the heights of the original.

In many ways, outside of PC and the success of the Meta Quest 2 and the SteamVR platform, virtual reality is not on the minds of all gamers. So, with news that Xbox is finally getting in on VR gaming, how it is doing so is not what you'd expect. Instead of a dedicated headset for console and PC, Xbox is partnering with Meta to launch "a limited-edition Meta Quest, inspired by Xbox."

This comes via the news we reported earlier, where Meta announced opening its Horizon OS to third-party VR headsets. So far, we know that ASUS's Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand will create a "performance" gaming headset with Lenovo set to create mixed-reality devices. The Meta Quest 2 and 3 are the most popular VR headsets out there, running Meta Horizon OS - so it makes sense to release headsets for the platform with the most robust VR app and game support.

Xbox recently partnered with Meta to bring Xbox Game Pass and cloud gaming to the platform, so this is a bespoke Xbox Quest with a controller. It could even be a simple limited-edition Meta Quest 3 with Xbox green colors and accents similar to Microsoft's limited-edition consoles and controller launches. Still, this could let down several Xbox fans because it will be an Xbox VR headset that won't be compatible with Xbox consoles.

• Read more: Meta brings its Horizon OS to third-party VR headsets for the first time
• Read more: Xbox Game Pass comes to VR endpoints with Meta Quest 3 integration
• Read more: Opinion: What the future of Xbox console hardware could look like
• Read more: PlayStation VR2 firmware update enables PC access and GeForce RTX support