Meta has reportedly scrapped plans for a mixed-reality headset that was being designed to compete with the Apple Vision Pro.

The Apple Vision Pro, which arrived in Australia last month at a retail price starting from A$5,999, has largely seen a disappointing reception in most markets where it has launched.

Meta told employees at Reality Labs to stop working on its version of the Vision Pro – internally referred to as La Jolla – after a product review meeting attended by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, reported The Information.

La Jolla was initially being readied for a release in 2027. This mixed-reality device was believed to be far better than Meta’s Quest 3, with crisp micro OLED displays, similar to the Vision Pro display technology.

Meta is keen to downplay the significance of terminating this project. “We have many prototypes in development at all times. But we don’t bring all of them to production,” Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth posted on Threads, in response to the news.

Meta Quest 3 (Image: Sourced from Meta)

Meta Quest 3 (Image: Sourced from Meta)

“We move forward with some, we pass on others. Decisions like this happen all the time, and stories based on chatter about one individual decision will never give the real picture.”

One of the reasons being reported for cancelling the project was the price of the device. Meta wanted to build the headset which could retail under $1,000, but micro OLED panels are expensive.

The plan to ensure that the device is more accessibly priced is vital when you consider that a price tag such as A$5,999 of the Vision Pro makes the Apple device an out-of-reach one for most mid-tier technology enthusiasts.

While the Vision Pro’s sales have been sluggish, Meta’s own high-end headset, the Quest Pro, which was unveiled in 2022 was not widely well received by the tech community.

The latest development doesn’t mean Meta is abandoning its VR and MR device development altogether. It’s only pulling the plug on the expensive, high-end version of the headset.

In related developments at Meta, a Quest 4 is believed to be on the way and will head to stores in 2026. Also, a more budget-friendly version of the Quest, codenamed Ventura, may be released as early as this year. Meta is believed to be readying new AR glasses that will likely be unveiled at the Connect event on September 25.

Beyond hardware, Meta is also looking to capitalise on the software that it is developing around these devices. Meta’s XR software which is called Horizon OS, might be licensed to Indian tech giant Jio by Reliance. A similar deal with LG didn’t materialise.