A report from a highly respected source, The Information, states that the Quest 4 and Quest 4s are expected to debut in 2026 and the Quest Pro 2 in 2027.
Latest report comes from Wayne Ma and Kalley Huang, who have accurately predicted and revealed information in the past. According to the article, Meta plans to release two versions of Quest 4 in 2026: a basic version of Quest 4 and Quest 4s, codenamed Writing High and Writing Low. This approach is similar to Meta's current plans for Quest 3.
Many leaks suggests that Meta plans to unveil the Meta Quest 3s, a cheaper and less advanced version of the Quest 3, at this year's Meta Connect. If these leaks are confirmed, the Quest 3s will debut a year after the Quest 3. Rumours from Wayne Ma indicate that Meta aims to release both goggles simultaneously, which may reflect a shift towards maintaining a consistent release schedule for the goggle variants.
Interestingly, Meta appears to be maintaining a three-year cycle for its core Quest line of goggles, with Quest 2 released in 2020, Quest 3 in 2023 and Quest 4 planned for 2026. Predicting releases and premieres even further into the future is difficult, as advances in technology may prompt Meta to accelerate its goggle release schedule.
Meta Quest Pro 2 in 2027
The report also indicates that Meta plans to release the Quest Pro 2, a competitor to the Apple Vision Pro, in 2027. The Quest Pro 2, codenamed La Jolla, is of particular interest due to seemingly contradictory reports regarding these goggles.
'La Jolla' was first mentioned by the Alex Heath on The Verge, who revealed an internal presentation of Meta's plans through to 2027, including the Quest 3 and Quest 3s. Heath noted that Meta has cancelled work on various versions of the Quest Pro 2 planned for 2024, in favour of a "more advanced" device planned for the distant future. These goggles are also expected to include Codec Avatars from Meta.
Codec Avatars are one of the most promising technologies to emerge in the VR/AR space in the coming years, perhaps even decades. These avatars are highly realistic virtual representations of people, differentiating themselves from the more cartoonish avatars currently used by the Met. In fact, they have the potential to reach a level of hyper-realism that will effectively overcome the so-called 'uncanny valley' (in a nutshell, the feeling that sticks with us when we see a human face with which there is something wrong), a challenge that has plagued similar technologies in the past.
However, Meta has also worked with LG on the development of more Quest Pro goggles. In February Korea Economic Daily reported, that Mark Zuckerberg was to meet with the CEO of LG Electronics to discuss the development of the Quest Pro 2 goggles using LG's webOS operating system, which could provide access to all streaming services. These goggles were due to be delivered in the first quarter of 2025.
However, a few months later, the same portal reportedthat Meta's partnership with LG has completely ended, and LG is now looking for a new operating system and software partner for its upcoming XR devices. On the other hand Korea JoongAng Daily reported, that LG denies the termination of the cooperation, claiming that it is still ongoing, but that LG is "controlling the pace".
While it is still uncertain whether this deal will come to fruition, there is a good chance that we will see other, more advanced goggles using Meta's operating system. Meta's latest strategic move involves licensing of its operating system third-party manufacturers, with Asus and Lenovo already confirmed. The VR/AR industry is evolving rapidly, and while we may have to wait until 2027 for the real Meta Quest Pro 2 goggles, it is likely to be a highly refined and top-of-the-range device.
