Meta Quest Pro didn’t quite become the prosumer favorite it was expected to be, leading to its discontinuation just over two years post-launch. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Meta isn’t stopping there; they’re developing not just a Quest 3 for consumers but also a more advanced model that could replace the Quest Pro.
In Gurman’s latest newsletter, he dives into various XR developments, such as Meta’s possible integration of displays in the next Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses and reports suggesting a slowdown in Apple’s Vision Pro production due to waning interest in their $3,500 headset.
Drawing from insider info, Gurman reveals that Meta is “working on Quest 4 VR goggles, alongside a new premium model that might eventually take over the Quest Pro’s mixed-reality role.”
The Quest Pro, launched in late 2022, was a notable deviation from Meta’s typical standalone headsets, which usually stood at around $300.
Initially priced at $1,500, the Pro model boasted features like color passthrough, advanced lenses, and facial and eye-tracking that set it apart from the Quest 2. However, less than five months later, Meta slashed the Quest Pro’s price to $1,000 to entice more prosumers.
Fast forward to July 2023, a report by The Information claimed Meta was halting the Quest Pro line, a notion quickly refuted by Meta’s CTO and Reality Labs head, Andrew Bosworth, who cautioned, “don’t believe everything you read.”
Further reports in July 2024 from The Information suggested that Meta was redirecting its Pro efforts toward developing a lightweight mixed reality gadget, akin to “a bulky pair of glasses,” with the codename ‘Puffin,’ aiming for a 2027 launch. Additionally, Meta disclosed its intention to unveil a pair of AR glasses before 2030, modeled after its Orion AR glasses prototype.
A subsequent piece from The Information detailed that a Quest Pro 2 prototype, named ‘La Jolla,’ had been shelved. Bosworth later confirmed this cancellation, acknowledging the development of Puffin, while remaining vague about the permanent fate of the Quest Pro series.
Meta’s approach includes launching and closing prototypes, as Bosworth previously outlined, focusing on exploration over instant market entry. The current standing of projects like Quest Pro 2 in this exploratory journey is uncertain, blurring the line between stepping stones and dead-ends.
While debunking the rumors about the cancellation of the Quest Pro line, Bosworth mentioned, “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.”
