This matters now because the pause, reported on December 17, 2025, interrupts licensing talks and raises fresh questions about Meta’s XR rollout timetable. What Meta’s Horizon pause means for headset makers in 2025Meta paused Horizon OS sharing on December 17, 2025; licensing talks stopped immediately. paused Horizon OS sharing on December 17, 2025; licensing talks stopped immediately. Who’s reacting to the Horizon OS pause, and why now? Meta’s halt to Horizon OS sharing tightens the software moat and slows partner launches, which could keep prices higher and limit device variety through 2025.

Source: New York Times December 28, 2025 08:10 UTC