This news does not come as a big surprise. The long-awaited and endlessly leaked Quest 3S now takes over the role of the Meta’s “entry-level” headset, leaving no room for the cheaper and older Quest 2 (which has been on sale since July). Despite its impressive hardware, the Quest Pro never managed to impress consumers. Its impending retirement was an open secret, and its role as a competitor to the Apple Vision Pro was replaced by the mid-range Quest 3 in 2023.
However, the Quest 2’s $200 price tag will be missed. It was a good budget headset, even in 2024. The Quest Pro also has its advantages – a beautiful screen, excellent videos, face and eye tracking, Tongue Tracking (for some reason), and more. Zuckerberg’s obsession with the so-called “Metaverse” didn’t pan out, but the Quest Pro’s Metaverse-compatible features make it one of the best headsets For VRChat And other similar experiences.
The death of the Quest Pro also raises some interesting questions about the VR industry as a whole. This product, which was supposed to revolutionize the computer industry, revolutionize remote work, and dramatically change social interactions, was a failure. Very few people were willing to spend $1,000 on the Quest Pro, and those who did rush into the headset mainly used them for VR poker or other less impressive purposes. Knowing this, how should we evaluate the Apple Vision Pro, which costs $3,500 and seeks the same goals that Meta set out two years ago? And if consumers aren’t willing to spend $1,000 on a standalone headset, how will a PC VR headset like the HTC VIVE Focus Vision perform in the mid-2020s?
On a lighter note, I should also note that Meta is also discontinuing the 128GB version of the headset Quest 3. It’s on sale for $430 while supplies last, though Best Buy and other retailers have not implemented that discount at press time. 128GB of storage should be more than enough for most people, although you may have to delete unused games, apps, and media from time to time. If you plan to play VR mostly on PC, storage capacity won’t matter at all.
If you still want to buy a Quest 2, Quest Pro, or 128GB Quest 3, you’ll have to shop used or find a retailer that still has the discontinued headset in stock. Just know that the Quest 2 probably won’t receive a ton of software support from the Meta, it’s a four-year-old headset, and it’s approaching obsolescence.
source: dead
(tags for translation) Video games