Meta Quest Pro didn’t quite catch on as the prosumer favorite Meta had hoped for. This realization led the company to cease production of their first mixed reality headset just over two years after its debut. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Meta isn’t slowing down. They’re reportedly not only crafting a Quest 3 for mainstream consumers but also working on a “high-end” version that might take the place of the Quest Pro.
In his regular newsletter update, Gurman touches on a broad spectrum of XR developments. He speculates that Meta might incorporate a display in its forthcoming Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. Meanwhile, there are whispers that Apple might be scaling back production of the Vision Pro due to waning interest in the $3,500 device.
Gurman, drawing from insider information, shared that Meta has its sights set on developing Quest 4 VR goggles. Additionally, a new upscale version is under consideration, possibly as the successor to the Quest Pro mixed-reality headset.
The late 2022 launch of Quest Pro was a notable shift for Meta, stepping away from their usual lineup of more budget-friendly standalone headsets that were typically around $300.
Initially, the Quest Pro was slapped with a $1,500 price tag. This advanced headset boasted features that outstripped what the Quest 2 offered, including color-passthrough, pancake lenses, and tracking for both face and eyes. However, less than five months in, Meta decided to cut the price down to $1,000 to attract more serious tech enthusiasts.
In July 2023, a report from The Information sparked rumors that Meta was scrapping the Quest Pro series, which Meta’s CTO and Reality Labs head, Andrew Bosworth, was quick to dispute by urging, “don’t believe everything you read.”
A subsequent piece from The Information in July 2024 hinted at Meta pivoting their ‘Pro’ efforts towards creating a lighter mixed reality device, akin to “a chunky pair of glasses.” The device, code-named ‘Puffin,’ is reportedly aiming for a 2027 launch. This development accompanies Meta’s plans to release AR glasses before the decade concludes, which promise functionality similar to its earlier Orion AR glasses prototype.
Shortly thereafter, another update from The Information alleged a Quest Pro 2 prototype, code-named ‘La Jolla,’ had been put on the backburner. Bosworth later confirmed this but assured that Puffin is in development. He stopped short of confirming whether the Quest Pro line was being permanently shelved.
Meta’s approach to innovation centers around a cycle of prototype development and discontinuation. Bosworth has previously described this strategy as prioritizing exploration over immediate product release. The exact status and future of projects like Quest Pro 2 remain unclear, leaving us to wonder if these are merely stepping stones or paths they’ve decided to abandon.
While addressing the earlier speculation of Quest Pro’s cancellation, Bosworth kept things vague, saying, “there might be a Quest Pro 2, there might not be. I’m not really telling you, but I will say don’t believe everything you read about what’s been stopped or started.”
