Meta has reportedly discontinued development of its premium mixed-reality headset, codenamed “La Jolla,” which was intended to compete directly with Apple’s Vision Pro. The project was initiated in November 2023 and slated for a 2027 release.
The cancellation is attributed to the headset’s high cost, driven primarily by the use of MicroOLED displays. This pushed the projected price tag well beyond Meta’s initial goal of keeping it under $1,000.
The decision comes amid questions about the market viability of high-priced headsets. Even Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro has faced challenges in gaining traction, suggesting that there might not be enough demand for multiple premium devices in this category.
Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth addressed the news, emphasizing that Meta constantly prototypes new products, but not all make it to production. He stressed that decisions like this are routine and that focusing on a single decision doesn’t provide the full picture.
While the high-end headset is no longer in the works, Meta is actively developing a more affordable Quest headset,codenamed “Ventura,” which could be released later this year. Additionally, the company is expected to unveil new AR glasses next month and launch the Quest 4 in 2026.
Updated at 20:21
Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth took to social media to elaborate the decision.
Just your regularly scheduled public service announcement: we have many prototypes in development at all times. But we don't bring all of them to production. We move forward with some, we pass on others. Decisions like this happen all the time, and stories based on chatter about…
— Boz (@boztank) August 23, 2024
