An internal presentation at Meta Platforms (META) illuminated the company’s plans for the future of its Quest headset — and its plan to pay for all the new advancements.
Meta’s Quest 3 headset will be remarkably thinner and more powerful than its predecessor, the Quest 2, tech news site The Verge reported. The new set, to be released later this year, will also have a higher price tag than the Quest 2. Meta’s Vice President for VR Mark Rabkin emphasized to employees the need to prove to consumers that the extra features are worth the markup.
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Rabkin also shared that the new set will lean more heavily into mixed reality, allowing wearers to use the headset while they walk around their homes.
“You can walk effortlessly through your house knowing you can see perfectly well,” Rabkin said. “You can put anchors and things on your desktop. You can take your coffee. You can stay in there much longer.”
Next year, the company also plans to release a new, more “accessible” version of the headset, which it’s nicknamed “Ventura.” According to Rabkin, this version will be aimed at a more price-conscious consumer. There will also be a more advanced headset, known as the La Jolla, which will include photorealistic avatars.
Meta is looking to maintain its market advantage over companies like Apple (AAPL) and Sony (SNEJF) , which have also made moves in the VR headset market. Meta is even looking to expand its technology offerings with smartwatches and AR glasses. Alex Himel, Meta’s vice president for AR, says that the company will be relying on its existing ad-revenue-based business model to pay for these advancements.
