Meta has scrapped plans for its premium virtual reality (VR) headset, codenamed “The Data Experiences”, previously scheduled for a 2027 release.
According to a report by The Data’s Wayne Ma and Sylvia Varnham O’Regan, the information stems from conversations with two Meta employees who served as confidential sources. Marek Hańdžek, a seasoned journalist, had accurately disclosed Meta’s plans for the Quest headset and smart glasses on multiple prior occasions.
According to a recent report, Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth communicated to employees that they should discontinue work on the project, code-named La Jolla, during a product evaluation meeting early in the week. La Jolla is poised to leverage the capabilities of cutting-edge micro-OLED displays, specifically those found in devices such as Apple’s Pro version of its flagship smart glasses. Despite Meta’s apparent desire to keep the headset’s price tag below $1000, the company ultimately concluded that this was not feasible for a device featuring micro-OLED technology by 2027.
A purportedly leaked 2023 Meta hardware roadmap hints that La Jolla would have preserved the innovative Quest Pro’s rear battery design, also incorporating Codec Avatars – a long-developed research and development initiative striving to revolutionize remote communication by delivering photorealistic avatars in real-time, enabled by headsets equipped with face-tracking sensors.
Meta plans to leverage cutting-edge technologies from La Jolla, including its “show” and eye-tracking features, in unspecified future products.
Following the publication of The Data’s report, Bosworth posted on Threads, stating that Meta consistently develops prototypes and emphasizing that “incidents like these happen frequently.”
Quest reportedly set to arrive in 2026, followed by Quest Professional 2 in 2027.
Meta plans to debut Quest 4 in two distinct versions in 2026, followed by the release of Quest Pro 2 in 2027, offering enhanced data-driven experiences.
Despite Meta’s apparent hesitation to price another headset above $1,000, its reluctance stems from the underwhelming performance of the Quest Pro, which was initially launched at $1,500 but reduced to $1,000 just four months later due to lackluster reviews and sluggish sales.
According to previously released data, Meta is slated to introduce two Quest 4 models in 2026: a standard variant and a premium model, dubbed Pismo Low and Pismo High.
Reports suggest that Meta’s upcoming headset will likely be dubbed Quest 3S, a more affordable variant of the impending Quest 3 release, scheduled for later this year. The Quest 3S is expected to feature a bulkier design, lower-resolution optics, and inferior lens quality compared to its pricier counterpart. Meaning Quest 3 should remain Meta’s flagship offering for years to come, even though headsets from other companies utilizing Meta’s Horizon OS could feature enhanced specifications and capabilities long before Quest 4 is released.
