"Before Apple" Meta Launches VR·MR Headset Quest 3... Entering Real Competition

Apple to Unveil MR Headset Developed Over 7 Years on the 5th
Meta Strengthens Market Leadership with Competitive Pricing

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, unveiled the next-generation virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) headset, Quest 3, for the first time on the 1st (local time) through its blog and Instagram. This move is interpreted as a preemptive strike ahead of Apple’s announcement of its first MR headset, developed over seven years, set for release on the 5th, signaling a serious competition.

According to Bloomberg and other sources, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, posted on Meta’s blog on the same day to reveal Quest 3 and announced it will be released this fall. The new product’s price starts at $499 (approximately 659,000 KRW).

The latest version, Quest 3, is 40% thinner than its predecessor, Quest 2, with significantly improved resolution and display. It is equipped with Qualcomm’s next-generation chipset and has at least three cameras attached to the front. The company explained that the sense of distance is more natural than previous products, and gaming graphics have also been enhanced. Meta described Quest 3 as an “all-in-one headset” that can be used wirelessly.

Meta also announced that it is updating the central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) of Quest 2 and Quest Pro. The CPU performance of Quest 2 and Pro will improve by up to 26%, while the GPU speed will increase by up to 19% for Quest 2 and 11% for Pro.

Meta’s announcement on this day was a preemptive measure ahead of Apple’s first MR headset unveiling. Apple is expected to officially enter the virtual reality device market by unveiling the MR headset, developed over seven years, at its annual developer conference (WWDC) on the 5th. CNBC described it as Apple’s first major new product line since the Apple Watch in 2014.

Bloomberg pointed out that Meta has effectively released a much cheaper alternative to the market ahead of Apple’s high-priced device, expected to cost $3,000.

(Photo by Meta Platforms, captured from a publicly released video on their blog)

Since changing its name from Facebook to Meta Platforms in October 2021 and dominating the virtual reality headset market, Meta has recently been struggling with weak demand. Meta’s “Reality Labs,” responsible for VR and augmented reality (AR) technology development, reported an operating loss of $3.99 billion in the first quarter alone.

Due to sluggish sales, Meta significantly reduced the price of the Quest Pro VR headset, launched in October last year, from $1,499.99 to $999.99 in March this year. On this day, Meta also announced that the price of Quest 2 will be lowered to $299.99 starting in June.

CNBC evaluated, “The VR industry is entering a ‘trough of disillusionment’ phase (a stage where interest wanes because technological progress falls short of expectations), and Apple is unveiling its headset,” adding, “However, no company has as clear marketing and experience in adopting technology and delivering it to customers as Apple.”