The internet has been on a rampage recently, with opinions on the Apple Vision Pro VR headset varying wildly in terms of both approval and intensity. While we knew Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerburg, would have an opinion considering the company’s prevalence in the VR headset space, it turned out to sound a bit more like a slight toward Apple than we expected.
Reporters from The Verge were witness to a recent meeting in which Zuckerburg addressed his employees directly about the Apple Vision Pro.
“I think that their announcement really showcases the difference in the values and the vision that our companies bring to this in a way that I think is really important”, Zuzk notes. Later he goes on to say that “There’s a real philosophical difference in terms of how we’re approaching this.”
He explains, “our vision for the metaverse and presence is fundamentally social. It’s about people interacting in new ways and feeling closer in new ways. Our device is also about being active and doing things.
“By contrast, every demo that they showed was a person sitting on a couch by themself. I mean, that could be the vision of the future of computing, but like, it’s not the one that I want.”
It’s certainly a contrast, not only when it comes to the expected lifestyle of the two company’s clients, but of course in terms of their expected disposable income.
Right now the Meta Quest 2 is the current reigning VR champion. With it’s price tag having now dropped to $299 (128GB) and $349 (256GB) thanks to the imminent launch of the Meta Quest 3, its a stark contrast to the Vision Pro’s $3,500. The Quest 3 will be landing at just $499, in fact. A whole three thousand moneys cheaper.
The main thing to consider is that Apple’s not a VR company. It’s putting out a halo product, which means it’s testing the waters and giving developers a chance to get their hands on something, and get the ball rolling. They’re not specifying that, however, in case some rich sap decides they want one for their no-living-allowed living room.
