LG Announces Partnership with Meta for XR Development
LG has announced a strategic collaboration with Meta to develop next-gen XR devices and create a distinctive ecosystem in the XR domain. The partnership may include streaming services and content capabilities from LG's TV business. This is not the first time Meta has partnered with a consumer electronics company, as they have previously worked with Samsung, Xiaomi, and Lenovo. It is speculated that an LG-Meta headset will be released in the first half of 2025.
LG and Meta Forge a Strategic Collaboration
LG has officially announced a strategic collaboration with Meta to develop next-generation XR devices. This collaboration aims to create a distinctive ecosystem in the XR domain, leveraging Meta's platform and LG's content/service capabilities from its TV business.
The partnership was confirmed after a meeting between LG CEO William Cho, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and the president of LG's Home Entertainment division Park Hyoung-sei. During the meeting, Zuckerberg demonstrated Quest 3 to Cho, signifying the depth of the collaboration.
This collaboration marks Zuckerberg's first publicly-known trip to South Korea since 2014 when he visited Samsung for the Gear VR partnership. The talks between LG and Meta revolved around business strategies and considerations for XR device development.
Potential Streaming Services and Content Integration
One interesting aspect of the LG-Meta partnership is the mention of integrating LG's content/service capabilities from its TV business. This could imply that Meta plans to bring streaming services to the Quest platform, potentially through a virtual LG TV.
By incorporating streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Max, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Hulu, Paramount+, and VUDU, the Quest platform could greatly enhance its media-watching capabilities. Currently, Quest lacks native apps for these platforms and has limited streaming options.
The addition of streaming services through the LG-Meta partnership would require no extra developer effort and could significantly improve the user experience on the Quest platform.
Past Partnerships and Future Possibilities
Meta's collaboration with LG is not the first time they have partnered with an experienced consumer electronics company. In the past, Samsung, Xiaomi, and Lenovo have all collaborated with Meta on various headsets.
It remains to be seen how the LG and Meta brands will be incorporated into any headset resulting from this partnership. Both brands have a strong presence in the consumer electronics market, and their joint efforts could yield an innovative and powerful XR device.
Furthermore, the upcoming LG-Meta headset is expected to be released in the first half of 2025. This aligns with previous reports that identified LG as Meta's partner for future Quest Pro headsets, with a rumored price point of around $2000.
