According to The Information, Meta is accelerating the VR/AR headset project in order to compete with Apple’s Vision Pro headset, but the finished product will not be released until 2027.
Apple Vision Pro
In an attempt to curb Apple’s attention, Meta unveiled the Quest 3 headset a few days before Apple announced the Vision Pro.
According to a media report, Meta originally planned to order microLED screens made by Plessey, but because the latter could not develop a bright enough screen, the deal basically failed.
The report says Meta turned to the proven and lower-cost liquid crystal on silicon (LCos) technology after ditching Plessey’s microLED screens.
Meta Quest Pro
Meta has announced a four-year development plan, saying it plans to upgrade the Quest 3 headset by the end of 2023; plan to develop an AR headset code-named Orion internally in 2024; launch a consumer AR headset code-named Artemis in 2027.
Meta has pared down the components of the Artemis headset, using glass instead of silicon carbide, and reducing the headset’s field of view.
The report says that Meta’s AR headset was originally intended to have a field of view of 70 degrees, but the headset now planned for launch in 2027 will have the same 50-degree field of view as Microsoft’s HoloLens and Magic Leap headsets. For comparison, Apple’s Vision Pro headset has a 120-degree field of view.
Compromises Meta has made over the past 12 months include removing LiDAR functionality entirely, and a projector that lets multiple people see AR/VR objects at the same time.
