Despite cancelling the La Jolla headset, Meta remains committed to developing more affordable VR options (Image: Instagram @Meta Quest)
Meta has cancelled working on its Apple Vision Pro competitor which is a high-end La Jolla headset as it started the development in November last year. It was scheduled to come out somewhere in 2027 but Meta has allegedly halted working on the Vision Pro rival, the Information reported on Friday.
This decision comes as Apple’s $3,500 Apple Vision Pro has failed to gain significant traction and also looking at the final cost. Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, downplayed the significance of the cancellation stating that they have many prototypes in development at all times. However, the company don’t want to bring all of them to production and move forward with some.
Despite cancelling the La Jolla headset, Meta remains committed to developing more affordable VR options. The company is working on a new, more budget-friendly Quest headset, codenamed Ventura, which is expected to launch before the end of the year. The company is also working on New AR glasses which are anticipated to be showcased next month and Questt 4 which is slated for release in 2026 respectively.
Also, read| Nvidia’s New AI Chip Delay May Affect Google, Meta And Other Giants: Report
Meta’s focus on more affordable options suggests that the company is reevaluating its strategy in the VR market. Since Apple Vision Pro use the MicroLED displays, the initial goal of Meta is to keep the price under $1000 but this will not happen as the MicroOLED costs an arm and a leg to purchase.
It was in July that Meta announced that the company would roll out multitasking capabilities like Apple Vision Pro to its Quest headsets that allow users to rearrange 2D apps in the virtual space which unveils a new “Theatre View” while they focus on a particular activity. It is stated in the company’s blog post that the new characteristics would replace Quest’s default three-panel grouping which would further enable panel movements to come in handy according to their needs.
Also, read| Meta Quest Headset’s ‘Update’ May Enable Multitasking Like Apple Vision Pro
