LG, Meta Announce Collaboration to Develop Next Generation XR Technologies

LG and Meta announced on Wednesday a strategic collaboration focused on augmented reality (XR) devices and technology. Meta previously launched the Meta Quest virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality headset, which can offer VR and augmented reality (AR) experiences. Meanwhile, LG has created an XR business unit within its Home Entertainment division to focus on building mixed reality-capable devices in late 2023. The news comes shortly after the CEOs of the two companies were due to meet to discuss the development of a new mixed reality headset that could be unveiled by Facebook’s parent company in 2025.

The South Korean firm announced the partnership in a prepared statement on Wednesday. “LG envisions that by combining Meta’s platform with its own content/service capabilities from its TV business, a distinctive ecosystem can be forged in the XR domain, which is one of the company’s new business areas. Moreover, the fusion of Meta’s diverse core technology elements with LG’s cutting-edge products and quality capabilities promises significant synergies in the development of next-generation XR devices.”

The announcement also stated that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with LG Electronics CEO William Cho and Park Hyung-sei, President, Home Entertainment at LG Electronics at the LG Twin Towers in Yeouido, Seoul. The two parties discussed business strategies and considerations for the development of a next-generation XR device. LG executives also tested the Meta Quest 3 headset and Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, and expressed interest in the company’s large language model (LLM) stack as well as AI integration into the device.

It looks like LG will expand the efficiency of its hardware and product development, while Meta helps with the inclusion of the core technology. A report suggests that the two tech giants have been working together on the Meta Quest Pro 2 for quite some time, and the headset could be launched in 2025. The details of the partnership are currently unknown, and whether both companies are offering their expertise and helping each other in building separate products or whether they will also create co-branded devices remains to be seen.

According to a report by Reuters, Zuckerberg is currently on a tour of Asia and arrived in South Korea on Tuesday. During his stay, he is expected to meet with President Yoon Suk-yeol and other leaders in the technology space. It is reported to be his first known visit to the country in ten years. He is also expected to visit Japan and India as part of this trip.