Meta Quest 3 could launch a headset only deal to fight off Apple

It’s a battle that was at all times going to get a little bit messy, however we didn’t count on to see it peak so quickly. Meta shouldn’t be solely gearing up for the discharge of the Meta Quest 3 headset this week, however it already has one eye on the long run because it marks Apple’s Imaginative and prescient Professional as a severe competitor.

There’s a concentrate on components reminiscent of value and market accessibility which has Meta on excessive alert, and its response makes a ton of sense. As a substitute of going again into the super-premium house and trying to launch one other one of many best VR headsets for gaming, Meta will as an alternative work on lowering prices related to the Quest 3 earlier than remodeling their upper-tier {hardware} technique.

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that it’s potential for a Quest 3 mannequin to be launched that features no controllers. The concept is that with out the added value of the Professional Contact controllers, Meta can convey the Quest 3 again all the way down to the $300 value level, which is the place the Quest 2 launched.

Meta would then reevaluate its method to the Quest Pro, which fell flat with the general public, and try to launch a brand new piece of {hardware} that’s comparable in high quality, however presents an expertise that may rival the unreleased Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional.

Gurman notes that these aren’t strong plans and are simply a few of the concepts being bounded round by Meta. Provided that the Meta Quest is predominantly a gaming-focused gadget, eradicating the controllers and counting on hand-tracking is a daring transfer, however one which isn’t not possible.

It’s price noting that the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional shouldn’t be being pushed as a gaming gadget and gained’t embody controllers both. The Meta Quest 3 being one-seventh the price of a Imaginative and prescient Professional additionally raises questions as to why Meta can be focusing so closely on value.

Nicely, Gurman touches on this by stating that “it’s laborious to guess in opposition to Apple”, and “the Imaginative and prescient Professional might lead shoppers to embrace blended actuality in a manner they haven’t earlier than”. So Meta is worried that even with the inflated value of the Imaginative and prescient Professional, Apple branding and belief issue might see a pickup within the adoption fee of their new tech.

With the Meta Quest 3 release date nearly upon us, you possibly can try a few of the best VR games of 2023 to see what you’ve missed out on up to now.