LG And Meta's Mixed Reality Headset Reportedly Dead As Amazon AR Rumors Swirl

Just three months after social media giant Meta platforms signed a partnership with LG Electronics to jointly develop the next generation of XR (Extended Reality) devices, the South Korean electronics major has reportedly pulled out of the partnership. Meta and LG's partnership was inked back in February 2024, and at the time, both companies revealed that they were looking to bring their first jointly developed XR headset in the first half of 2025. Both companies originally envisioned a product that could not only match the Apple Vision Pro in terms of capability — but would exceed it in overall performance.

Had the companies proceeded with the partnership, it would have ended up in creating an LG-made XR headset that would be powered by Meta's extended reality operating system — Horizon OS. Meta, in turn, would have taken advantage of LG's OLED panel technology as well as the electronic major's extensive global sales network to extend the reach of the jointly developed headsets, and bring them closer to potential customers.

It's said that it was LG who requested to end the collaboration, as the company officials quickly realized there was a lack of synergy between the teams working on the project. Despite this setback, LG hasn't given up on its ambition to create XR devices and virtual reality headsets. The company is, in fact, seeking fresh partners who will help them with their virtual reality ambitions, and one of the companies being considered is an unlikely candidate — Amazon.

While Amazon is one of the largest tech companies around, the company isn't quite known for its prowess in the field of virtual reality and extended reality. It is now speculated that LG is interested in Amazon because of the 200 million strong Amazon Prime Video customers who subscribe to the OTT service. LG sees this large customer base as a potential market for the company's upcoming XR products.

Given that Amazon doesn't have the equivalent to Meta's Horizon OS, it is likely that LG will use a modified version of Android to power its future XR devices. LG could also pave an independent path and come up with an XR operating system of its own, given that the company already uses its WebOS platform for smart TVs.

It is pertinent to note that the potential partnership brewing between Amazon and LG is yet to be confirmed by either company. It would be interesting to see the direction the partnership moves in if the news, indeed, turns out to be true.

LG's interest in getting its XR game correct is understandable, given that it is not the only electronics major involved in developing such products. LG's arch rival Samsung is also heavily invested in these devices, and had even announced a similar deal with Meta in 2022. Samsung is also investing in a production facility for manufacturing microLEDs, an advanced display technology that is widely used in AR and VR devices.