It’s the war between PC and Mac again, but this time it’s Meta against Apple. At least, that is what is about to happen according to Mark Zuckerberg. At a recent general meeting, the Meta CEO stated that the upcoming battle for control of the metaverse will not be just between him and Apple. It will also be a philosophical battle pitting open standards against Apple’s closed, walled garden. If that sounds familiar, it’s almost exactly the same battle that played out decades ago between Apple and Microsoft. Apple wanted to control both the Mac hardware and software, while Microsoft took the opposite approach. He allowed other companies to design hardware for his software and ultimately won that battle. Now it looks like a similar clash of ideas will happen in the metaverse.
Zuckerberg’s comments established Meta’s position quite clearly. He is building virtual reality (VR) hardware that can be used on various online platforms. So if you have a Meta Quest 2 headset, you’re not limited to just being able to enjoy the software or online worlds created by Meta. In theory, it could go to other metaverses and move valuables between platforms as well. Although Apple has yet to announce or launch its VR headset, when it does, it’s expected to be typical Apple. That means Apple will be the gatekeeper. There’s probably no way, for example, you’d be wearing an Apple headset in a Meta-based online world. That is, unless Meta makes a version that you can download from the Apple app store, which is highly unlikely.
Meta’s secret Cambria Project will launch this year. (Image: Goal)
In his comments, Zuckerberg also makes a comparison between Android and iOS. iOS is locked as all apps must be approved by Apple. However, Android allows sideloading of unapproved apps. These lax policies have allowed Android to overtake iOS in global market share, but iOS remains the leader in the US. However, Zuckerberg goes on to say that Apple’s strategy has largely worked for mobile devices, since it is difficult to argue with the success of the iPhone. However, he noted that it’s unclear if that same approach will work for the metaverse. “One of the things that I think is interesting is that it’s not very clear from the start whether an open or closed ecosystem is going to be better,” he said. (Open versus closed is much less important than “Facebook” versus literally “Anyone else but Facebook.” – Edition)
As proof of its commitment to open standards, last month Meta helped spearhead the development of a open standards group for the metaverse. That effort was joined by companies like Epic Games, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Sony. Apple did not join the consortium, to the surprise of precisely no one. Apple’s refusal to join the group, combined with its past behavior, seems to indicate that it will continue its lockdown approach with its VR headsets.
Overall, Zuckerberg sees this upcoming battle as a war over philosophies, according to the edge. “This is a competition of philosophies and ideas, where they believe that by doing everything themselves and integrating closely, they build a better experience for the consumer. And we believe that there is much to be done in specialization between different companies, and [that] It will allow a much larger ecosystem to exist.”
This crude mockup accompanied one of Apple’s AR/VR patent applications. (Image: USPTO)
Apple is expected to announce its fledgling VR headset at its October hardware event. In theory, it would go on sale sometime in 2023. The company has reportedly been working on its design for over seven years now. It has also been revamping all of its native apps to work with a new mixed reality operating system called rOS for Reality Operating System. At the same time, Meta has shown glimpses of its first high-end headset called Project Cambria (above), which is expected to compete directly with Apple’s headset.
Even though Apple lost the war for most of the PC market with its “tightly integrated” approach, whether that will work for the metroverse, as Zuckerberg claims, remains to be seen. Still, it’s hard to write off Apple, as it tends to dominate every market it enters. An important factor, however, will be price, as Zuckerberg alludes to in his comments. He says the company breaks even or loses money on every Quest 2 headset it sells. That’s because he just wants people to get into the metaverse and then open their wallets.
On the contrary, this is not how Apple operates. It has to have a non-trivial markup, or else I wouldn’t bother. That is, unless you can make money on the software side like you can with games. However, the metaverse doesn’t work that way, as you’ll likely need Apple headphones to enjoy company-approved deals.
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