Apple Is Racing To Develop Cheaper, Lighter Vision Headsets To Rival Meta Quest

While Meta’s Quest headsets continue to represent a better value in the VR space, and the company pushes towards an AR fueled future with its Orion project, Apple finds itself scrambling to keep up. The Vision Pro headset, which costs an eye-watering $3,500, landed with a thud with little support from developers, despite being an impressive piece of hardware. As such now, according to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is working on several fronts to better position itself against Meta.

Apple is hoping to right the ship by developing a less expensive version of the Vision Pro. This lower-end headset would still be pricey, though, with an expected MSRP of $2,000, according to Gurman. The lower price point will mean the removal of features such as eyesight, which lets other people see a user’s eyes while using the headset. As expected, a less robust processor and cheaper materials will also be employed. The change in materials should also mean a lighter device.

Moreover, Apple has taken notice of Meta’s success with its smart glasses, which it has developed in partnership with Ray-Bans. Apple is potentially looking to emulate this product, although it’s not something that will be ready until sometime in 2027. It will serve as a way to compete with Meta, but also enable the company to recoup some of the billions it has invested in developing the visual intelligence technology that’s found in the Vision Pro.

Apple has often looked to enter product spaces well after competitors have laid the groundwork. With its headset efforts, though, it looks as if the company’s strategy is backfiring, because its late start likely means that it lacks the in-house knowledge for making a viable product in a difficult to crack market. Apple obviously has its work cut out for it as it looks to find what it hopes will be its next big thing.