Meta has scrapped plans for a long-rumored mixed reality headset that was intended to compete with the Apple Vision Pro. According to a report by The informationThe company told Reality Labs employees to stop working on the device after a product review meeting attended by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Meta employees were quoted as saying.
The device was known internally as the La Jolla and was supposedly set to launch in 2027. This mixed reality headset was supposedly a far superior device to the Quest 3, with ultra-sharp micro OLED displays. This is the same display technology used in the Apple Vision Pro.
Reports indicate that a major sticking point was cost. The team wanted the device to cost less than $1,000, but those micro OLED panels aren't cheap. After all, the Vision Pro costs $3,500.
Another possible reason the premium device was scrapped is that, well, maybe there just isn’t that much demand for expensive headsets. Sales of the Vision Pro have been slow, and Meta’s pre-existing high-end headset, the Quest Pro, was widely ridiculed for having a $1,500 price tag.
It's important to note that this doesn't mean Meta is abandoning VR and AR devices. It's just putting an end to an expensive, high-end headset. There are plenty of rumors about this. a Quest 4 is comingalong with a cheaper version of the Quest 3. Meta is also reportedly preparing new AR headsets that will likely be shown off at the upcoming Connect event on September 25.
Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth, echoed the earlier sentimentHe wrote on Threads that the company has “many prototypes in development at any given time” and that “decisions like this happen all the time.”
However, the company is changing its strategy a bit. In addition to cancelling the aforementioned earbuds, Meta has been trying to license its XR software to third-party hardware makers. The platform, which is called Horizon OS, could be licensed to Indian tech giant Jio as an opening move in this tactic. An agreement with LG, however, fell.
It's always possible that the company will bring back the concept of a high-end headset in the future, once the sector gains more acceptance among consumers. In the meantime, the Quest 4 is reportedly set to hit stores in 2026.
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