Today Sylvia Varnham O’Regan and I reported that Meta Platforms plans to release four new headsets by 2024, starting with the mixed reality Cambria device coming later this year. That’s in addition to other bold road maps for upcoming hardware from its Reality Labs division, including a line of smartwatches and plans for AR glasses targeted to 2024, as reported by The Verge. If Meta wants this influx of devices to meaningfully advance its metaverse plans in near term, then it needs to make good on its commitments to interoperability.

To put it bluntly, Meta shouldn’t leave Quest 2 owners in the lurch as it rolls out this array of products in the next couple of years. It should make sure that Quest 2 owners can keep using their devices and access Meta’s platforms and software for at least another three years, which would give it a five-year life. That would be roughly in line with gaming consoles. If a rapid pace of innovation on the hardware side forces the company’s early adopters to upgrade before then, Meta could fracture its audience and set back some of the progress it has made toward getting users on board with its grander vision for the metaverse.