Meta has discontinued the development of its high-end mixed reality headset, which was meant to compete with the Apple Vision Pro, according to The Information report. According to recent reports, the headset codenamed La Jolla, was slated for launch sometime in 2027.

The Information reports that Meta had commenced development of the La Jolla headset in November last year. However, in the past week, the company directed its employees to stop working on the device.

Meta Quest 2 Promo
Meta Quest 2 Promo

The decision to shut down La Jolla was partly prompted by cost considerations as the costly micro-OLED displays would have been unrealizable at the lower price point Meta now offers for its XR products.

Shutting down La Jolla may also indicate that Meta is giving up on the development of premium VR as it pursues lower-priced hardware for the mass market.

According to reports, Meta was aiming to sell the La Jolla headset at below $1,000 but that price point would be unrealizable in light of the costly micro-OLED displays the headset uses. To make matters worse, Apple’s $3500 Vision Pro headset is still struggling to make headway with consumers and developers which casts doubt on the viability of premium VR hardware. The premium and productivity-focused Meta Quest Pro headset, priced at $1,499 at launch, received tons of negative reviews and has more or less faded into oblivion.

As the report came out, Meta moved to downplay the impact of the La Jolla cancellation, claiming it is just one of the many prototypes the company develops at all times, many of which do not see the light of day. Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth posted on Threads that the company makes decisions like this “all the time” and the shutdown of one headset does not “give the real picture.”

Despite the La Jolla cancellation, Meta is still working on numerous mixed-reality tech products, some of which are expected to launch soon.

According to The Verge, Meta is developing a more affordable Quest headset codenamed Ventura and is expected to launch before the end of the year. At the Meta Connect event later in the year, the company is expected to showcase new augmented reality glasses that have been in development. The next-generation Quest 4 headset is also under development and includes a standard and premium version, both of which are expected to launch in 2026.

https://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Meta-Quest-Pro-Headset-with-Peripheral-Blinders-600x390.pnghttps://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Meta-Quest-Pro-Headset-with-Peripheral-Blinders-150x90.pngSam OchanjiBusinessMetaMeta has discontinued the development of its high-end mixed reality headset, which was meant to compete with the Apple Vision Pro, according to The Information report. According to recent reports, the headset codenamed La Jolla, was slated for launch sometime in 2027. The Information reports that Meta had commenced development...VR, Oculus Rift, and Metaverse News - Cryptocurrency, Adult, Sex, Porn, XXX