The Apple Vision Pro reignited mainstream interest in a waning VR/AR landscape when it was announced at this year’s WWDC – up until the reveal of its $3,499 price tag, that is.
However, the Vision Pro’s mighty MSRP is nothing short of an RVSP to the competition as they scramble to undercut Apple’s inflated pricing with more affordable mixed reality headsets of their own.
The latest of which could come via a collaboration between Meta and LG on the Metaverse parent company’s next premium hardware offering – the Meta Quest Pro 4.
An answer to the Vision Pro's biggest con?
According to Korean news site Maekyung, Meta and LG have joined forces to deliver a mixed reality experience similar to that of Apple’s Vision Pro. The new headset, rumored to be the Meta Quest Pro 4 – a confusingly named follow up to 2022’s smash-flop the Meta Quest Pro, is expected to arrive in 2025 and tout a premium, but altogether more palatable $2,000 price tag.
According to Maekyung, Meta’s next Quest Pro model will feature parts from LG Display, LG Innotek, and LG Energy Solution. The Quest Pro’s adoption of LG’s family of tech could see the headset feature industry leading Micro LED displays, iPhone-level camera modules and sensors, and an improvement to battery life and power efficiency.
Outlook
On paper, these hardware improvements go some way to countering the Vision Pro’s micro OLED optics and 12 camera/5 sensor tracking array. The potential battery improvements for the Quest Pro 4 would also see Meta’s device leapfrog Apple’s, with the Vision Pro requiring an external battery pack capable of just 2 hours of uptime.
In contrast, the Meta Quest 2’s internal battery is already capable of lasting 2-3 hours, with the upcoming Meta Quest 3 expected to deliver similar results.
However, anybody seeking to dethrone the Vision Pro as one of the most powerful mixed reality headsets on the market when it arrives next year will have a tough fight on its hands. Apple’s upcoming headset is backed by a dual-chip setup that incorporates a powerful M2 and R1 Apple silicon combo.
While Meta and LG’s partnership could provide some potent, premium components, it remains to be seen if Meta are able to stay on par when it comes to overall performance and power.
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