view : The Meta Quest series has lack a dead on target competitor ever since the original headset launched back in 2019 .
The likes of HTC Vive and Valve have release their own VR headsets , but they ’ve occupied a high - end mart , while require a powerful PC to operate .
Meta is the only company so far to release a standalone headset that ’s powerful enough to play feature length VR games without being plug into another system . As a effect , Meta has been able to tap into a mass market audience and generated an impressive bit of sales .
So why has n’t any other troupe get on a serious competitor to the Meta Quest ? Truth be told , there are n’t many companies in a position that can take on Meta . VR computer hardware is extremely expensive to construct , yet most people are n’t prepared to expend a fortune on a headset .
As a result , it seems like theMeta Quest 2isn’t a highly profitable gadget , despite its warm sale . sooner this year , Meta ’s earning write up ( viaAndroid Central ) reveal that it lose $ 10.2 billion on VR / AR back in 2021 . This would explain why Meta recently decided to increase the retail price of the Meta Quest 2 .
So why is Meta happy to make a loss on its VR division when other companies are not ? It appear that Meta is capable to make money from VR headset purchases beyond computer hardware sales agreement .
Zuckerburg understandably believes that the company could see a lot of succeeder with the introduction of the Metaverse . CNBC reportsthat Meta will take a 47.5 % cold shoulder on virtual asset sales in the Metaverse via the Horizon Worlds chopine . This is how Meta will make its money , therefore making it potential to sell its VR headset at a subsidized price .
Most companionship are n’t capable ( or willing ) to imitate this maneuver , as it want them to take an initial major loss and then guarantee a large enough exploiter base in the future to generate more receipts through software . But there is one troupe that has the infrastructure in berth to successfully gainsay Meta , and that ’s Apple .
Renowned leakerMark Gurman claimsthat Apple is presently working on a high - end interracial world headset called theReality Pro , and will go toe to toe with the upcomingMeta Quest Pro . But why is Apple in a positioning to challenge Meta when other company are not ?
Firstly , Apple is a very moneyed party , far more so than the like of HTC which has struggled to keep up with Meta in the VR rat race . Secondly , Apple has a strong buff foot that ’s willing to ante up a high fee for its products – theiPhone 14 Prohas a start Mary Leontyne Price of $ 999 ( £ 1099 ) , while the14 - inch MacBook Prostarts at $ 1999 ( £ 1899 ) .
Apple also places a plenty of grandness on creating an ecosystem that prevents you from purchasing products from other companies in the hereafter . For instance , the Apple Watch offers compatibility with an iPhone , but becomes a useless accessory if you later resolve to swop over to an Android phone . As a result , Apple customer are more likely to stay close to the brand for future hardware purchase .
It ’s highly probable that the upcoming Apple Reality Pro headset will need an Apple account to run , and will in all probability be able of linking up with an iPhone . This is complete speculation , but it fits in with Apple ’s overall scheme , and would promote Reality Pro buyer to purchase additional Apple mathematical product .
Another important consideration is that Apple will be capable to recrudesce its own components for the headset . Bloomberg reportsthat the Reality Pro will be power by a raw ‘ realism Processor ’ ground on the existingM2 chip . Even Meta is n’t able to evolve its own central processing unit , instead relying on the Snapdragon chips from Qualcomm .
Apple is even tip to act on a new operating organisation visit ‘ realityOS ’ , which will be able-bodied to get at VR - base versions of apps such as Maps and FaceTime . And while Apple is n’t noted for play , I call back that it ’s probable it will offer a like subscription service toApple Arcade , which provides access code to a large library of games via a monthly subscription . I ’m also confident there will be VR depicted object made available through the like ofApple TV+ – another subscription service that Apple could tempt you into paying for .
With everything considered , Apple looks to be in a swell stance to launch an AR / VR headset . While I do n’t personally own any Apple merchandise , I still nevertheless receive the move . contention is always good for the consumer , as it not only help to keep computer hardware Price more affordable , but also encourages innovation .
If no other company bothered to plunge a competitor to the Meta Quest series , then Meta would have little reason to ameliorate the hardware . And do you think Meta would have been as willing to give the Quest 2 a terms hike if another democratic VR headset was available at an low-priced price ? I ’m dubitable .
So let ’s trust the rumours are true and that Apple does indeed go into the VR market next yr . I would lief jump ship to another VR headset if it meant I no longer had to suffer Zuckerberg ’s ramblings about his visual sensation for the Metaverse .
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