Meta hopes to be the 'Android' alternative to Apple's Vision Pro

While some companies might fear the arrival of Apple into a market where they are the dominant player, Meta is viewing the arrival of Apple into the AR and VR market as a potential shot in the arm for sales. Although there may be doubts about the ability for Apple’s Vision Pro to succeed, there can be little doubt that it has rekindled interest in spatial computing and the use of headsets for immersive work and entertainment experiences. With the Vision Pro starting from a stratospheric $3,500, Meta believes that it poses an opportunity for it to cash in with its Quest series of headsets offering a much more affordable entry point. 

In fact, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Meta is looking to position the Quest series of AR/VR headsets as the ‘Android’ alternative to Apple’s Vision Pro. The Meta Quest 2 starts from $250, the Meta Quest 3 from $499, and the Meta Quest Pro from $999, all of which are priced well below Apple’s offering. While the Vision Pro offers more advanced hardware with better resolution among other features, the experiences it delivers are largely similar to what we have seen from other headsets in the category, including those from Meta.

Since purchasing Oculus in 2014 for $2B – when Meta was still known as Facebook – the Journal reports that Meta has tipped in an additional $50B banking initially on selling the concept of the metaverse – hence the company name change and restructure. However, the concept has never taken off with consumers as it seems the current audience is largely composed of enthusiasts, and not mainstream users. Meta has also yet to recoup much of its investment in the technology to date, losing billions to date.

But with the price of the Apple Vision Pro so high – along with complaints that its weight can cause neck pain after short periods of use – Meta’s Quest products stand ready as a viable alternative for consumers who may have had their interest in the category piqued by Apple’s entry into the segment. It’s lighter and considerably cheaper (you can buy 7 Meta Quest 3s for every Vision Pro), has a much larger app library, and is also lighter. While it isn’t as technically advanced, it still offers compelling spatial computing experiences that are akin to what Apple is offering. The company is also said to be pivoting with a view to offering more AR experiences rather the VR focus it has had in the past, to better compete with Apple’s apparent emphasis.