Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg briefly introduced a new virtual reality (VR) headset on Thursday, days before an annual Apple conference where many observers expect to discover the first VR headset from the Apple brand.
"This is Meta Quest 3. The first consumer headset with high-resolution color mixed reality," Zuckerberg said on his Facebook and Instagram accounts, captioning a video showing the new device in the Quest lineup.
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Mixed reality makes it possible to move from virtual reality, which immerses the user in a virtual universe, to augmented reality (AR), where virtual elements appear superimposed in their real environment.
From $500
The Quest 3, which will go on sale from $ 500 in the United States in the fall, is "40% thinner" than the previous model and "more comfortable", and it is the "most powerful helmet" of the brand at this point, said the executive.
At the end of 2021, Facebook became Meta with the idea of becoming a metaverse company, described by the leader as the future of the internet, after the web and mobile. Quest headsets accounted for more than 80% of the market at the end of 2022, according to Counterpoint, but the social media giant's efforts have so far not led to significant adoption by the general public.
The number of users of such equipment jumped in 2021, during the pandemic and lockdowns, but it has grown more slowly since then, by about 5 to 6% per year, according to Insider Intelligence. According to the research firm, some 35 million people now use a VR headset at least once a month in the United States, or about 10% of the population.
Towards the implementation of "standards"
Meta "would like to set the standards for the operating systems of this new technology, as Google and Apple have done for smartphones," said Yory Wurmser, an analyst at Insider Intelligence. "As a result, he doesn't mind selling helmets at a loss to build a consumer base."
Many observers are betting on the presentation of Apple's first mixed reality headset next week at its annual developer conference.
"Apple was hoping to release a product closer to a pair of glasses than a video game headset," Wurmser said, "but it looks like they're going to unveil something bigger (and certainly more expensive), because they want enthusiasts and engineers to use it and start building an ecosystem of dedicated apps," before designing lighter, cheaper devices for the general public.
