Meta AR Software Head, Don Box, Steps Down
On Friday, it was revealed that Meta’s head of augmented reality software, Don Box, is stepping down from his role, prompting speculation about the progress of the company’s custom operating system for its anticipated AR glasses. This departure raises questions about Meta’s timeline for delivering its first-generation AR glasses, slated for internal use by select developers next year, with consumer shipments expected in 2027.
Don Box, who served as the VP of Engineering at Meta, announced his departure internally this week, citing personal reasons. Although he did not provide details about his future plans, a company spokesperson confirmed that there would be no alteration to the product roadmap despite his exit.
Box, a seasoned engineer with a track record of building major technology systems from their infancy, played a crucial role in overseeing the development of the operating system, a vital component of Meta’s AR glasses project. Meta’s ambitious plan involves creating hardware, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, to facilitate access to an immersive virtual “metaverse,” aiming to eventually replace laptops and mobile devices.
Challenges Ahead for AR Glasses
The company’s goal to launch the first generation of AR glasses next year for internal use faces challenges, as acknowledged by Andrew Bosworth, CTO of Reality Labs at Meta. Bosworth mentioned that bringing a market-ready AR product still poses “quite a few challenges” and remains a few years away.
Notably, Meta has encountered difficulties in developing custom silicon for its AR/VR products, resulting in layoffs in its Reality Labs custom silicon unit FAST last month. Don Box, hired by Meta in 2021, was tasked with steering the company forward after the setback of its XROS project’s failure, which aimed to create a unified custom operating system for virtual reality headsets, Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses, and future augmented reality glasses.
Box’s strategy involved breaking up the 300-person XROS unit into dedicated teams for each device line. He personally took charge of the team focused on AR software. Before joining Meta, Box had an extensive tenure at Microsoft, where he played a pivotal role in developing software for the HoloLens2 headset and related AR/VR services. His contributions included leading the creation of the Xbox One operating system and overseeing Microsoft’s core operating system group, which worked across all Windows products.
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