Mark Zuckerberg, the chief of Meta has said that while the Apple Vision Pro product may be impressive, it does not align with his vision of the future, according to US media reports.
Zuckerberg expressed his perspective on Apple's mixed reality gear during an employee meeting.
These remarks were made during Meta's first all-hands gathering at its Silicon Valley campus since the pandemic, shortly after Apple introduced its Vision Pro mixed reality headsets.
"I mean, that could be the vision of the future of computing, but like, it's not the one that I want," Zuckerberg reportedly said while assessing what he has seen of Apple Vison Pro.
"There's a real philosophical difference in terms of how we’re approaching this."
Meta, a company known for producing Quest virtual reality headsets, has made significant investments in line with Zuckerberg's belief in the emergence of the metaverse—a concept where internet life unfolds within virtual worlds.
"Our vision for the metaverse and presence is fundamentally social," Zuckerberg said, according to a transcript of remarks posted by tech news website The Verge.
"By contrast, every demo that (Apple) showed was a person sitting on a couch by themself."
In 2021, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, displayed strong confidence in its ability to develop the metaverse—an immersive 3D internet concept. The company rebranded and allocated significant financial resources to pursue this ambitious project.
However, Meta has encountered challenges such as unsuccessful launches, subpar graphics, a lack of clear profitability strategies, and a general perception that the concept remains unclear to many.
As a result, Meta's Reality Labs division, responsible for spearheading the metaverse initiative, has incurred losses totaling $4 billion thus far.
Zuckerberg has shifted his focus towards artificial intelligence, diverting attention away from the metaverse in recent discussions.
During the all-hands gathering, Zuckerberg expressed plans to incorporate generative artificial intelligence into "every single one" of the company's products, CNBC reported.
This announcement comes in response to Apple's recent introduction of the Vision Pro, a sophisticated "spatial reality display" equipped with advanced technology and priced at $3,499.
The Vision Pro is set to hit the market in early 2024.
The Vision Pro, unveiled by Apple, offers users the ability to communicate, work, enjoy entertainment, and choose between immersion and awareness of the surrounding environment.
This advanced device is set to be released soon, providing a versatile and engaging experience.
In addition, Meta announced plans to launch a new-generation Quest 3 headset later this year. The improved model boasts enhanced performance and a sleek design, with a starting price of $500.
Zuckerberg described the upcoming headset as the company's "most powerful headset yet," ensuring an unparalleled wireless experience for mixed and virtual reality.
To make its products more accessible, Meta has also reduced the starting price of the currently available Quest 2 headsets to $300.
Despite these efforts, the Quest headset has struggled to gain significant traction beyond specialised users and gamers.
"We innovate to make sure that our products are as accessible and affordable to everyone as possible," Zuckerberg was reported to tell employees.
"And we have sold tens of millions of Quests."
(AFP)
