Meta Platforms has reduced the prices of its virtual reality headsets, hoping to boost demand for its VR devices, as its bold expectations related to the metaverse have not materialized, reports Reuters, quoted by News.ro.
The Meta Quest Pro will sell for $999, down from the launch price of $1,499, and the 256GB version of the Quest 2 for $429, down from $499, the CEO said Friday Mark Zuckerberg, in a broadcast on his social media platform Instagram.
The company cited lower sales of the Quest 2 as the reason behind a 17% drop in fourth-quarter revenue at its Reality Labs unit, which includes VR-related offerings.
The division lost $13.7 billion last year and more than $10 billion in 2021.
The meta is facing pressure from investors for pouring money into the metaverse, which has not reaped the benefits as expected.
Late last year, the company released the Quest Pro, describing the device as its most advanced VR headset.
The Quest Pro, with its outward-facing cameras that capture live 3D streaming of the physical environment and enable innovations such as the ability to project virtual images onto a real-world wall, was aimed at designers, architects and other creative professionals.
The meta has recently revised its stance on the metaverse and is focusing on cost savings.
The company called 2023 the “Year of Efficiency” and projected billions of cuts in its expenses for this year.
While VR headsets have added more advanced capabilities recently, their adoption outside of the gaming community has been slow.
Last month, Tencent, the world’s largest video game publisher, abandoned plans to venture into VR hardware as it held talks to distribute its Meta Quest product line in China.
source: News.ro
