Today at Connect 2024, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and Founder of Meta, announced the Quest 3S after months of rumours. The new product is an MR device similar to the Quest 3 but cheaper.
Today, Meta announced that pre-orders will start at $299.99 for a 128GB model and $399.99 for a 256 GB model. Notably, Meta highlighted how the Quest 3S can support workplace [productivity applications such as a virtual desktop.
The Meta Quest 3S will feature capabilities, including a high-quality 4K display, a Fresnel lens system, and a full-color passthrough.
Additionally, the headset will come with specifications such as a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR Gen 2 chipset, 8GB of RAM, hard-tracking, and Touch Plus controllers.
Meta for Developers
Alongside Meta’s Quest 3S announcements, the firm also recently debuted the Meta for Developers marketing hub and revamped developer centres for its XR portfolio.
Meta is growing its XR developer support in time for Connect’s big announcements. According to an official statement, Meta aims to create “a vast ecosystem of tools and tailored solutions. ”
The developer centres will namely support XR developers in creating Meta Horizon content for the Quest portfolio.
Recently, Meta updated the Horizon operating system to take a more open approach to content creation and distribution.
Moreover, the new developer centres support developers in leveraging Meta’s social media portfolio and AI/LLM solutions.
VR Headset are Fading, reports Suggest
Meta’s decision to introduce an MR headset comes as VR headset sales are expected to decrease in the second half of the decade. MR devices like the Quest 3S can support VR applications and AR experiences.
Additionally, IDC reported a significant decrease in global AR/VR headset shipments during the first quarter of 2024, revealing a 67.4% year-over-year drop in Q1. This decline mainly affected VR headsets, as potential buyers shifted their focus to MR/AR devices.
Jitesh Ubrani, a Research Manager at Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers, IDC, pointed out that the emergence of new mixed reality/spatial computing devices contributes to the decline in VR headset sales.
Ubrani said:
Strictly virtual reality headsets [will start] to fade in the coming years.
Ubrani also noted that XR brands and developers will “devise new hardware and experiences to help users eventually transition to augmented reality further down the line.”
The report indicated that although sales decreased, the average selling price rose by over $1,000, partly due to Apple Vision Pro. Since the Quest 2 took over the market in 2020, the prices of several consumer headsets have gradually increased.
Despite the significant drop in headset sales, the overall forecast remains positive. As the starting entry price for MR headsets is expected to decrease, consumers may shift from VR to MR/AR devices.
With new mass-market products, the IDC anticipates a 43.9% CAGR in headset shipment volume from 2024 to 2028.
Furthermore, while consumer-facing devices experienced a decline, separate reports indicate a rise in the use of XR devices in enterprises. The IDC report also shows that the increase in enterprise XR devices is consistently growing.
