Eye Tracking Is The Missing Piece In Mark Zuckerberg's VR Strategy - UploadVR

VR is finally maturing into a true computing platform, with OpenXR, Flatpaks, and new headset-first operating systems from Google, Valve, and Apple. Yet one capability separates the leaders from the laggards: eye tracking. The article argues Meta’s long hesitation to make it a default feature has capped the scale and potential of its platform—even as rivals center their experiences around it.

Key takeaways

• Eye tracking is becoming foundational for next-gen VR/AR UX, performance, and social presence.
• Apple, Valve, and Google now treat eye tracking as core; Meta largely removed it after Quest Pro and is late to recommit.
• Meta’s push for Horizon Worlds and a top-down "metaverse" strategy backfired, culminating in major 2026 layoffs.
• The path forward prioritizes eye tracking as the primary intent signal—VR’s equivalent of the mouse.

How we got here

• 2014–2021: Meta (then Facebook) buys Oculus, invests in long-horizon R&D (with Michael Abrash), and sees strong Quest 2 momentum. But forced Facebook account linking and early VR ads spark user backlash. The company rebrands to Meta and champions the metaverse.
• 2017: Early eye tracking demos reveal transformative design potential—software that understands what you care about at any moment.
• 2022: Quest Pro ships with eye tracking. Instead of doubling down, Meta pulls the feature from Quest 3 and plans to reintroduce it later, ceding ground to Apple’s polished implementation in Vision Pro.
• 2026: As Apple, Valve (via Steam Frame), and Google build around eye tracking, Meta’s strategic resets and layoffs underscore missed bets—especially the costly Horizon Worlds detour.

Why eye tracking matters

• Natural input: Your gaze expresses intent; pinches or other gestures simply confirm. This is to VR what a mouse is to desktop computing.
• Performance wins: Foveated rendering focuses fidelity where you look, unlocking higher quality on the same hardware.
• Better UX and accessibility: Interfaces can highlight, select, and adapt to user attention in real time.
• Lifelike presence: Avatars, eye contact, and social cues feel authentic only when eye movement is captured accurately.

Competition’s playbook

• Apple Vision Pro: Starts you in a “real-first” mode, then lets you dial toward fully virtual. Eye tracking powers navigation, Personas, and outward-facing eye displays.
• Valve and Steam Frame: Treat eye tracking as essential to the platform’s readiness for prime time.
• Google and partners: Eye tracking is central to next-gen headsets and Android-led ecosystems.

Meta’s missteps and missed momentum

• Removing eye tracking after Quest Pro delayed a key platform capability just as rivals standardized on it.
• Heavy investment in Horizon Worlds over core input fundamentals echoed John Carmack’s warning against chasing a vague metaverse instead of shipping products people actually use.
• Strategic consequences show up in developer trust, software direction (e.g., delisting Population: One on Steam to fight cheating), and a narrowed lead despite early Oculus advantages.

A likely future: eyewear as a spatial mouse
The most compelling near-term expansion may be lightweight, display-free glasses that turn gaze and hand tracking into universal input:

• Instantly control TVs, tablets, or computers with a glance and pinch—even with busy hands.
• Use any flat surface as a precision trackpad.
• Touch type on any tabletop.
  This reframes eye tracking as the primary intent signal for all spatial computing, not just enclosed headsets.

Bottom line
Eye tracking isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s the missing link. Platforms that know what you want, when you want it, will feel magical and scale faster. Apple, Valve, and Google are already building around this truth. For Meta to fully realize the vision it began with Oculus, eye tracking must become the default, not an optional detour.

Source: https://www.uploadvr.com/eye-tracking-missing-piece-mark-zuckerberg-vr-strategy/