Meta reiterates its prolific publication cadence for the year, simultaneously announcing the launch of Quest 3VR and debuting its innovative Orion augmented reality glasses. The absence of firm’s trio of prominent associate headsets from Asus, Lenovo, and Xbox was particularly striking. The place are they?
In early April, Meta announced a significant pivot by opening its Android-based XR operating system, Horizon OS, to third-party developers for the first time, marking a major departure from its previous role as the sole headset creator for its XR ecosystem.
When announcing the move, Meta emphasized that creating Quest devices would not only proceed but also mark a significant milestone in becoming the “open model” – a deliberate contrast to Vision Pro, which operates as a patently closed system, unlike Apple’s proprietary approach.
One of the most significant announcements from Meta’s recent update was the unveiling of Quest 3S, a $300 mixed reality headset aimed at bringing immersive experiences to the masses; however, Meta failed to provide any updates on the timeline for their release or availability.
Meta aims to capitalize on Quest 3’s popularity, particularly during the holiday season when consumer purchasing power tends to surge. Regardless of the circumstances, the Quest 3S has emerged as the corporation’s most competitively priced offering within its product lineup, with a significantly lower price tag than the previously discounted Quest 3 512GB model (now priced at $500) and the soon-to-be discontinued 128GB variant ($430).
Meta aims to captivate both new customers and upgraders alike with the Quest 3S, a device that combines the lenses and display of the Quest 2 with the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset and full-color blended reality capabilities – most notably enabling access to blended reality video games and upcoming Quest 3 titles, such as
The company may not announce further details on these associate headsets until next year, as it might want to focus on its own lineup before the holiday season begins, avoiding any potential confusion or dilution of attention. As Meta ultimately reveals its latest offerings, we’ll gain a clearer understanding of how these new devices will integrate with the company’s core product lineup, currently comprising Quest 3 and Quest 3S, following the discontinuation of Quest 2 and Quest Pro.
