Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday that his company’s newest virtual reality headset, dubbed the Meta Quest Pro, will cost $1,500 and start shipping on Oct. 25. Zuckerberg debuted the device at Meta’s Connect conference, geared toward VR and augmented reality developers.
The new headset costs $1,100 more than Meta’s Quest 2 headset. It contains new technologies, like an advanced mobile Snapdragon computer chip developed with Qualcomm, that helps the device produce more advanced graphics. The Quest Pro also has improved touch controllers that contain embedded sensors, allowing for better hand tracking and new lenses for improved reading experiences.
The new headset contains some mixed-reality features that can blend elements of the virtual world with the physical world. Zuckerberg has touted that as an essential feature in creating the metaverse, which refers to digital worlds that people can access via VR and AR headsets.
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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also appeared during the online event and discussed a partnership with Meta to bring some of his company’s work-collaboration apps to Quest VR devices. Some Microsoft apps that people can access with a Quest device include the Team’s chat app, the Microsoft 365 suite of work software, and the company’s Xbox cloud gaming service.
“You will be able to play 2D games with your Xbox controller projected on a massive screen on Quest,” Nadella said. Meta shares were down about 4.5% in midday trading to $127.85, underscoring a muted response from investors about the new VR headset.
