Meta Rolls Out Higher-Priced Quest 3 Headset, Just Ahead of Apple’s Vision Pro
Meta Platforms Inc. introduced its latest lineup of head-worn devices, staking fresh claim to the virtual- and augmented-reality industry just ahead of Apple Inc. pushing into the market.
The company officially unveiled the Quest 3 headset on Wednesday, raising the price by $200 to $500, at its annual Connect developers conference. It also introduced second-generation smart glasses that it developed with luxury sunglass maker Ray-Ban.
The Quest 3, which was previewed by Meta earlier this year after Bloomberg published a hands-on review of the device, offers improved performance over the Quest 2 from 2020. It also marks a pivot from VR to mixed reality, which melds virtual and augmented reality.
It's a high-stakes moment for Meta's hardware business. Though the company has dominated VR goggles for years, Apple is poised to release its Vision Pro headset in the coming months, setting up a showdown. Like the Quest 3, the Vision Pro is a mixed-reality headset — though one with exclusive Apple technology and content. The Vision Pro will have Apple's marketing muscle behind it, but also a much higher price: $3,499.
In addition to the competitive pressure, Meta also has struggled to sell consumers on the metaverse — a collection of interlocking online worlds that make use of its headsets.
The social-media giant embraced the concept of the metaverse in 2021, going so far as to change its name from Facebook to Meta. But after headset sales and usage stagnated, the company shifted its focus toward artificial intelligence and more-marketable technologies. Meta now touts its headsets as gaming and productivity tools — similar to how Apple is expected to market the Vision Pro.
For now, Meta remains far and away the industry leader in
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