Meta Axes Mixed-Reality Headset: Is Zuckerberg’s Metaverse Dream Dead?
Meta has axed plans for its high-end mixed-reality headset. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Haddad Media)
Key Takeaways
- Meta has axed plans for its upcoming premium mixed-reality headset.
- The news marks another blow to Mark Zuckerberg’s dreams of creating an all-encompassing metaverse.
- Meta canceled the development of its original headset in 2023 due to low sales.
Meta has axed plans for a high-end mixed-reality headset which was set to rival Apple’s Vision Pro, marking another blow to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse dreams.
The Facebook owner reportedly told employees in its Reality Labs division, the arm that focuses on virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and the metaverse, to stop working on the device last week.
La Jolla Axed
Known internally as La Jolla, the premium headset was set for release in 2027 and was due to contain the same micro OLED screens found in Apple’s Vision Pro.
Reacting to the news on Threads, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth claimed that “decisions like this happen all the time, and stories based on chatter about one individual decision will never give the real picture.”
“We have many prototypes in development at all times. But we don’t bring all of them to production,” Bosworth said.
A Blow to Zuckerberg’s Metaverse Dreams
The axing of Meta’s La Jolla headset could signify that CEO Zuckerberg is finally giving up on his ambitious dreams of an all-encompassing metaverse.
The company reportedly wanted to keep La Jolla under $1000 but ultimately determined this was not possible while using the expensive micro OLED screens found in the Apple Vision Pro.
Meta likely wanted to keep its new premium headset under $1000 due to its previous failure with the original Quest Pro. The company was forced to cancel production of the Quest Pro in 2023 following a myriad of negative reviews and extremely low sales.
In 2022, just one year after the company rebranded to focus on the metaverse, Meta’s Reality Labs lost over $13bn. While a large portion of those losses could be due to long-term investment, the metaverse has yet to show any real successful returns for Zuckerberg and Meta.
Zuckerberg Remaining Positive on His Metaverse
Zuckerberg envisions the metaverse as a digital universe where consumers can shop, play, work, and learn. The metaverse, as Zuck imagines it, will be built on the foundations of VR and AR.
Despite a history of losses in the VR and AR space, it seems Zuckerberg remains positive on his ambitious plans to bring the technology to the mainstream.
In April, Meta announced it was sharing the Quest’s operating system with rival device makers, allowing other companies to develop headsets using Meta Horizon OS. The move aims to increase Meta’s influence over the VR market.
Meta continues to sell their existing version of headsets, the $200 Quest 2 and $500 Quest 3.
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