Apple
's
Vision Pro
is hitting the stores later this week on Friday. It's not just those who pre-ordered their first spatial computers who are excited; someone else has been waiting for this day for years and reportedly couldn't be more excited. It's none other than
Mark Zuckerberg
, who got us poking each other on Facebook and now has spent the last few years burning billions of dollars, even renamed its company, hoping everyone would wear a headset on their face for hours for work, entertainment, and even socialise inside virtual and augmented worlds. And now, he hopes that the $3499 Vision Pro could help him realise his
meta
dream.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Zuckerberg and other Meta executives are hoping that Apple’s Vision Pro will rekindle people's interest in the
metaverse
. People familiar with their thoughts told the Journal that executives at Meta are “optimistic” of the
iPhone
maker’s entry into the headset market and hope that it will substantiate their CEO’s bet, drawing in more buyers.
Meta, which bought Oculus for $2 billion in 2014, has spent $50 million till now on its Reality Lab division. In 2021, the company changed its name to reflect its vision for immersive virtual worlds. However, the Reality Labs division generates less than 1% of Meta's overall revenue, and the Quest devices remain a niche product.
Sources tell that Meta employees are of the opinion that Quest and its software ecosystem have the potential to emerge as a “primary alternative” to Apple in the
virtual reality
(VR) industry, much like
's
Android
has played a significant role in the smartphone market.
Zuckerberg and Andrew Bosworth, the chief technology officer at Meta, have long believed that having a strong competitor could boost the market, the people said.
These same people say that Apple's upcoming headset has influenced Meta's focus. Meta, which earlier focused entirely on metaverse, asking people to work and play in its virtual reality environment, is now emphasising more on
mixed reality
experiences, bringing in pass-through abilities that give users a look at their surroundings while they are using the headset.
Cathay Craig, CEO of VR game developer Incisv, who recently attended a Meta event, was told by an employee that Apple's entry into the VR market will increase the demand for headset devices. “What Meta thinks is people will buy their headset because it’s cheaper,” she told the Journal.
The Vision Pro comes at an exorbitant price of $3,499, and that’s just the starting price. The additional storage options, add-ons, and accessories can add hundreds of dollars to the invoice. In comparison, Meta’s newest headset – the Quest 3 – is priced at $500, which is significantly more affordable.
English (US) ·