According to The Information, Meta had already started developing the La Jolla headset in November but told employees to stop working on the device this past week. The decision was due in part to the fact that the La Jolla headset would’ve used pricey MicroOLED displays.
The move suggests that Meta as a whole may be souring on the idea of premium VR. Purportedly, the goal was to keep the cost of the headset under $1,000, which was looking increasingly difficult given how expensive MicroOLED can be to produce. Compounding matters, the $3,500 Vision Pro has struggled to make an impact with customers and developers, raising questions as to whether there’s even appetite for a high-end competitor. It also doesn’t help that the Quest Pro, which launched at $1,499, was poorly reviewed and quickly faded from the spotlight.