Meta cancels Quest Pro, halts development of Quest Pro 2

Meta has a lot on its metaphorical plate, from the recent announcement of its latest VR/AR headset, Meta Quest 3, to the launch of its social media platform to rival Twitter, Threads. The company is reportedly cutting some of its projects, including its most high-end, mixed-reality headset meta quest proTerminating the project and stopping work on Quest Pro 2.

reports from Information The claim is that Quest Pro maker Goertek will only make the headset as long as the supply of available materials allows. Meta told its suppliers at the beginning of the year that it would not need any new components for the Quest Pro.

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The company is also discontinuing development of the second generation Quest Pro. With the upcoming launch of Meta Quest 3, it appears that Meta is looking to focus on more affordable headsets.

After much anticipation from fans of the mixed reality community, Meta Quest Pro just launched in October. Upon its release, Meta marketed it as a VR/AR headset aimed at professionals more than a gaming device.

The Quest Pro quickly attracted criticism for its design that was not desirable due to its heavy weight and awkward fit with the forehead, its cheap feel, and an underpowered software platform. When the Quest Pro was announced to be priced at $1,500, many were outraged at such a high price – Meta eventually dropped the price. $1,000,

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Meta is preparing to launch Quest 3 nearly three years after its predecessor’s release quest 2, The Quest 3 will reportedly offer a better XR experience than the Quest Pro, as it will have a higher resolution, a depth sensor, and two 4MP cameras instead of one.

The new series of Meta AR glasses will also not feature new high-end displays, as was originally intended. The same report from The Information says that Meta’s AR glasses, known as Artemis, will feature liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS), an older glass lens and display technology. The biggest problem with this technology is that it lacks brightness, which is an essential feature for AR glasses to display graphics on objects in bright environments.

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Meta’s Artemis AR glasses will only feature a 50-degree field of view, compared to the originally planned 70-degree FOV. A lidar sensor on Artemis’ wireless puck, which comes with the glasses to offload the computing parts, was also removed to cut costs. This will help the device to detect the environment and better engage them in the digital world.

It remains to be seen whether Meta will return to the professional audience. If Apple’s Vision Pro performs well and the market takes off, the company will likely return to high-end VR/AR production. However, Meta’s software platform still has a long way to go to satisfy Quest Pro’s high-end, mixed reality market.