Why the cancellation of Quest Pro 2 is a good thing
Meta has put development of the Quest Pro 2 on hold, which may turn out to be a good thing for the broader ecosystem.
The Information reported over the weekend that Meta has abandoned plans to launch a premium headset and competitor to Apple Vision by 2027.
The device, codenamed "La Jolla," would have succeeded the disastrously failed Meta Quest Pro if it had actually become a product. But that's not going to happen, at least not in the next few years.
However, it would be premature to conclude that this is the end of the Quest Pro 2 as a device category. After the report appeared, Meta's CTO Andrew Bosworth spoke out on Threads. He did not deny the news, and stressed that it was only the end of one particular prototype.
"Just your regularly scheduled public service announcement: we have many prototypes in development at all times. But we don't bring all of them to production. We move forward with some, we pass on others. Decisions like this happen all the time, and stories based on chatter about one individual decision will never give the real picture," Bosworth wrote.
There is limited demand for premium headsets
The concept of a premium-featured Quest headset will live on at Meta and could become a reality at a later date, assuming there is greater demand for headsets beyond the $500 mark.
At the moment, this is not the case. Even the $500 Quest 3 will probably sell less than five million units in its first year on the market. And I don't even need to mention the much more expensive Apple Vision Pro.
There are currently no realistic technical upgrades that could make headsets like the Quest 3 significantly more successful, and certainly not at twice the price (Meta reportedly aimed for a price below $1,000 for La Jolla, which proved difficult). OLED microdisplays and eye-tracking are not killer features, rather a much smaller form factor and lower weight, but that will not come soon. And what about Meta's Codec Avatars and the photorealistic telepresence they enable? It remains to be seen how well this technology can be implemented on standalone headsets and whether it can really compete with video calls and conferencing in terms of popularity and usage.
The right decision on Meta's part
Meta's decision to shelve the Quest Pro 2 for the time being is a good one. Why should the company spend valuable resources and attention on a class of devices for which there is not yet a significant market? Meta's goal is to bring VR and AR to the masses, not to sell a few hundred thousand highly specialized headsets. Meta is leaving that market to the OEMs. Overall, it is better for the industry if Meta focuses on lowering the barriers to entry rather than raising them.
The Information reports that Meta plans to use the technologies developed for La Jolla in future headsets. That likely means more affordable devices like the upcoming Quest 4. That's bad news for a tiny group of enthusiasts, but good news for consumers.
Oculus founder Palmer Luckey once said that VR needs to become something everyone wants before it can become something everyone can afford. Six months after the launch of the Vision Pro, it's clear that even the most exclusive and expensive headset isn't good enough for everyone to want it. The technology is far from ready, and Meta knows it.
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