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Watch out, Apple: Meta and LG are building a new Quest Pro headset
Quest Pro, we hardly knew thee.
Even though its first foray into the world of headsets wasn't as popular as hoped, Meta still has big plans to take on Apple's Vision Pro. And it's bringing in some help.
Last year, we learned that Meta was teaming with LG to help design and build its newest headset. While it initially seemed like this partnership would be limited to the display, we now hear that it's going to involve more -- a lot more.
Also: iPhone 16 Ultra's camera could bring Apple Vision Pro's killer app to life
South Korean news outlet Maeil Business Newspaper details how Meta is actually collaborating with several subsidiaries of LG. According to the report, LG Display will be in charge of the screen, LG Energy will be providing the battery, LG Innotek will be manufacturing other components, and LG Electronics will actually be building the headsets.
In short, LG will likely have a fair amount of input into the entire process.
The first product from this collaboration is expected for 2025, with a price tag of around $2,000. That's well below the price of $3,500 for Apple's Vision Pro (coming in 2024), but significantly more than Meta's price of $300 for the Meta Quest 2 and $999 for the Quest Pro.
Meta's Quest 3, which should be arriving soon, carries a price tag of $499. So while Meta is clearly trying to take on the Vision Pro headset with its own premium offering (its new Flamera headset actually has a big advantage over Apple), it also wants to keep one foot in the more affordable market.
Also: Best VR headsets: For gaming and the metaverse
This wouldn't be the first time Meta has worked with a third party for its headsets. Xiaomi manufactured the Oculus Go, and the Rift S from Oculus was manufactured by Lenovo. Neither of those products carried a lot of branding from Meta's counterparts, but -- given LG's heavy involvement in this new headset -- it's hard not to see the South Korean company's name all over it.