Zuckerberg: Apple's Vision of Computing Isn't One I Want

Meta chief isn't impressed with rival's new headset
By Steve Huff,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 9, 2023 4:55 PM CDT
Zuckerberg Isn't Wowed by Apple's Headset
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at the Paley Center in New York, Oct. 25, 2019.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

Meta's Quest and Quest Pro headsets have been the leading goggles for accessing the somewhat moribund metaverse. However, Apple's announcement of its long-awaited entry into the augmented and virtual reality game, the Vision Pro, changed the game immediately—and according to Variety, Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has some thoughts about this. During the first Meta all-hands meeting in three years, the Verge reports that Zuckerberg threw some shade at the rival headset on Thursday. For one thing, Apple doesn't appear to have made any notable technological leaps, he said.

He went on to draw a sharp contrast between Meta's and Apple's visions of the best uses for virtual reality, saying in part that Meta wants "to create a "fundamentally social" experience. "By contrast, every demo that [Apple] showed was a person sitting on a couch by themselves. I mean, that could be the vision of the future of computing, but, like, it’s not the one that I want.” He also took note of Apple's price tag of $3,499 and said Meta is making a point to keep its devices far more affordable. "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," he said.

In October 2021, Zuckerberg announced that the Facebook Company was changing its name to Meta Platforms, and the Motley Fool reports that by February this year, the company had spent $13.7 billion on the metaverse—money that went into the higher end, more expensive Quest Pro headset as well as Horizon Worlds, which the New York Times termed "buggy and unpopular." Thus, it may not be surprising that Zuckerberg was closely watching Apple's biggest reveal since 2007. However, the Apple Vision Pro won't be available till 2024, which may give Meta plenty of time to determine the best way to compete for the future of virtual reality. (More Apple stories.)

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