--- title: "Meta’s Uber-Expensive New VR Headset Is Dead on Arrival" description: "Meta Quest Pro Meta-formerly-Facebook has released its long-awaited Meta Quest Pro, the follow-up to the company's Quest 2 virtual reality headset. And from what we can tell, there's a good chance it'll be dead on arrival, especially at an eye-watering $1,500. Sure, as its name suggests, the headset is aimed at a niche market of […]" date: "2022-10-11" modified: "2022-10-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/meta-quest-pro-headset-dead-on-arrival" categories: - "Future Society" - "Virtual Reality" tags: - "Meta" - "metaverse" - "the digest" - "virtual reality" --- # Meta’s Uber-Expensive New VR Headset Is Dead on Arrival ![Meta-formerly-Facebook has unveiled its Meta Quest Pro, the long-rumored follow-up to the company's Quest 2 virtual reality headset.]() *\Image: Meta\* ## Meta Quest Pro Meta-formerly-Facebook [has unveiled]() its Meta Quest Pro, the long-rumored follow-up to the company's Quest 2 virtual reality headset. And from what we can tell, there's a good chance it'll be essentially dead on arrival, especially at an eye-watering price of $1,500. Besides, who's this device aimed at, outside of tech journalists or diehard metaverse fans? Sure, as its name suggests, the headset is aimed at a niche market of early adopters — but that's been the pitch of VR gadgets for [nearly a decade at this point](), with little sense of building momentum. Perhaps most damning is the Quest Pro's ludicrous price tag. At three times the price of a PlayStation 5, and a near absolute vacuum of compelling use cases for the tech, it's almost impossible to imagine it becoming a hot holiday seller. ## Science Fiction None of this is likely to appease Meta's investors. The company is [already bleeding money]() as it tries to make good on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's ambitious vision of creating a layer on top of reality. The new headset, which occupies a far smaller footprint on your face, has a somewhat impressive, updated spec sheet, from greatly enhanced resolution for each eye to better contrast. New sensors can track your facial expressions, the company says. One spec, though, seems likely to sink all the others: the $1,500 device's abysmal one to two hours of battery life, as [*The Wall Street Journal* points out](). Despite the company including a sleek wireless charging dock, that's barely enough for a gaming session or conference, unless you're willing to wear the device while tethered to an external power source. ## Stuck in VR Then there's the fact that we have yet to see any compelling use cases outside of awkward board meetings and painful tech presentations. Which is symptomatic of a much larger problem — many signs point towards the fact that Zuckerberg's vision for the metaverse [isn't pa]()y[ing off](). The company is in dire financial straits and is reportedly poised to [lay off thousands of employees](). Those who are still employed by Meta's Reality Labs are also reportedly choosing [not to spend time inside the company's metaverse](), because it's glitchy and barely usable. And we're not convinced the Quest Pro will be able to change that, either. **READ MORE:** [Meta Quest Pro: A $1,500 Virtual-Reality Headset for Working in the Metaverse]() \[*The Wall Street Journal*\] **More on Meta:** *[Facebook Leak: Metaverse So Glitchy Not Even Employees Use It]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()