Fast Facts
- Photos purporting to be a new Meta Quest headset model have been posted
- The model is aimed at a budget customer
- Some believe the leaked images are fake
About a month ago, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to social media to diss Apple's premier new headset, the Vision Pro.
In what translated as fear of Apple's (AAPL) ability to crush his own dreams of virtual-reality supremacy, Zuckerberg claimed in a Feb. 13 Instagram video that the Meta Quest 3 "is the better product, period."
Now, a social media post suggests that Zuckerberg could be taking an even sharper competitive step against Apple — but questions about the post are being raised.
Related: Apple just made this Vision Pro feature even better
Over the weekend, an X user shared images from a Reddit post from a leaker with the user name LuffySanKira of what appears to be a new budget version of the Meta Quest. The Reddit user claims they were shown these graphics in a Meta User Research Zoom meeting.
Meta Quest 3 Lite may actually be "Meta Quest 3S"
— Luna (@Lunayian) March 16, 2024
u/LuffySanKira on Reddit claims they were shown these graphics in what was likely a Meta User Research Zoom meeting.
I can't verify them, but I CAN verify Meta does feedback sessions like these. pic.twitter.com/DjkZnVMP6b
The images appear to be from a French PowerPoint presentation showing off the Meta Quest 3 and a new model, the Meta Quest 3s. The image shows a headset has six cameras on the front plate and boasts 220 PPD per eye, with 256GB of storage. The headset has a flat front as opposed to the slight curve of the Meta Quest 3.
The original Reddit post has since been deleted.
Social-media users were quick to point out some discrepancies with the leak, such as a volume button on the bottom that magically changed places from one shot to another.
Wow the first HMD with bottom buttons that can magically flip which side of the bottom they’re on
— Brad Lynch (@SadlyItsBradley) March 16, 2024
That’s incredible! pic.twitter.com/yh4RlNbAGY
There's also a person's face in the top right of the shot on what looks to be a laptop camera, which raises more questions about the images. Because a nondisclosure agreement would be required to attend a meeting such as this, the attendee showing their face on camera would be revealing their identity.
TheStreet has reached out to Meta for comment.
Why a cheaper Quest 3?
While the new version of the Meta Quest headset has gotten fairly positive reviews for its improvements over the Quest 2, the starting price point — $499.99 — made the barrier to entry for the tech more of a challenge for budget-conscious buyers.
A Wall Street Journal report from November 2023 confirmed that Meta is at work on a low-cost headset in partnership with videogame giant Tencent, but it was specifically aimed at the Chinese market with plans to begin sales in late 2024.
Some reports that the partnership has been put on pause have surfaced, but none have been formally confirmed by Meta, leaving the situation up in the air.
Meta's Reality Labs, the division responsible for the metaverse efforts of the past few years as well as the Meta Quest headset series, had an operating loss of $4.65 billion in the fourth quarter and a loss of more than $42 billion since the end of 2020, according to a CNBC report.
