NEWSTECHNOLOGY

Meta and LG Partner on Quest Pro Successor

A report from Korean news outlet Maeil Business Newspaper strongly points to Meta joining forces with LG in the development of a successor to Meta Quest Pro. Suggesting a potential 2025 release, the report also states that Meta is looking at a $2,000 USD retail price for what may be called Meta Quest Pro 4, which will feature LG displays as well as components from LG subsidiaries. Also noted was the likelihood of a new budget Quest device costing around $200.

A New Partner for Meta

Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 vr headsets from above
Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 may soon be joined by a budget-priced successor. [Image: Meta]

Whether or not the more surprising elements of the report will end up confirmed obviously remains to be seen. A $200 USD Meta VR headset would be a radical drop in price for the Quest line, especially considering the price of Quest 3 was stated as $499. Various outlets reported that an affordable Meta headset codenamed Ventura would be released in 2024 to be followed by a successor to Quest Pro.

Meta has previously partnered with other entities to bring their devices to life: Oculus Rift S with Lenovo, Oculus Go with Xiaomi and Gear VR with Samsung. Meta Quest Pro has been touted by its creators as a platform for trying out innovative VR and AR technology before that tech can be made available via more affordable devices. A partnership with LG may enable this to be a more fluid and frequent relationship between lower-end and higher-end devices.

Up Against Apple

Apple Vision Pro Headset
Apple revealed its debut VR/MR device, Apple Vision Pro, at WWDC 2023. [Image: Apple]

Apple’s announcement of its forthcoming Apple Vision Pro mixed reality device poses a serious challenge to Meta’s market dominance. Meta Quest Pro may have been announced first and be priced lower than Apple’s debut VR/MR device, but Quest Pro failed to withstand Apple’s entry into the market. Quest Pro appears to have sold approximately 25,000 units in its first quarter. Though priced significantly higher than Quest Pro, Apple Vision Pro is expected to at least match, if not surpass that figure. If a partnership between LG and Meta results in a truly next-gen device in Quest Pro 4, the high-end consumer VR/MR device competition will really heat up.