Meta Quest 4: CTO confirms work on two new VR headsets
Despite dire predictions: Meta continues to invest in VR and confirms two new devices are in development. One of them is likely to be the Meta Quest 4.
Meta is sticking with the Quest product line. The image shows Meta Quest 3.
(Image: Meta)
Meta's CTO reiterated this week that Meta continues to invest in VR and is optimistic about its long-term future. In a Q&A session on Instagram, Andrew Bosworth said that the cuts in Meta's VR division have cleared the way for hardware roadmaps. Meta has two new devices in sight that are "very exciting." The video is no longer available on Instagram.
Speaking to the tech newsletter Sources, Bosworth said that Meta is sticking with the Quest product line and that two devices are in development, which have already been leaked. The CTO is apparently referring to a report by Business Insider. The news portal published internal memos in December that mention two new VR headsets.
What devices is Meta planning?
The first device was originally supposed to be released in 2026, but according to the memos, it has been postponed to next year. From everything we already know, Meta is again targeting the premium segment with this device, as it did with the Meta Quest Pro.
The most striking feature of the new VR headset is likely to be its changed form factor: by outsourcing the computing unit and battery, the size and weight could be significantly smaller than those of competing products like the Apple Vision Pro and Samsung Galaxy XR. Early prototypes with this architecture weigh around 100 grams and resemble smart glasses more than VR headsets.
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Far less is known about the second device. According to the leaked memos, it is a Meta Quest 4 with a gaming rather than a metaverse focus. The product is said to represent a "major upgrade" in terms of technology compared to the current third generation. While the first device is planned for the first half of 2027, the Quest 4 is likely to take a little longer and be more expensive than previous devices, as Meta has abandoned its previous subsidy policy.
In a conversation with Sources, Bosworth discussed the future content focus: third-party apps, media content, productivity tools, and mixed reality. The unloved metaverse platform Horizon, on the other hand, is taking a backseat and will no longer be as prominent at the system level. The developer community is likely to welcome this, as it means less competition from Meta.
(mho)
