Quick Summary
Meta is planning multiple new headsets, with the first reveal expected at Connect 2026.
Meta dominates the VR segment, with rumours of a new gaming device and a lightweight mixed reality headset in the works.
Meta has plans to release a number of new VR headsets, and with Connect 2026 scheduled for September, we're likely get our first look at at least one of the new models soon.
The brand has dominated the headset segment, with Quest's affordability and support offering a route to VR experiences that others have tried to encroach upon, but not always with great success.
Apple's Vision Pro attempted a premium take on VR and has struggled to make inroads, while a cheaper version has reportedly now been discontinued. Meanwhile, Google has taken a long time to get Android XR off the ground with Samsung's Galaxy XR only recently expanding to countries outside the US and Korea, handing Meta a free rein.
But even with a healthy market share, Meta has been strangely quiet about new headsets recently. The Meta Quest 3S was its last new model and was released in 2024.
Thankfully, comments from an Instagram Q&A with Meta's CTO, Andrew Bosworth, have reinforced the fact that Meta is still working on headsets, specifically saying that there will be more information at Connect. The comments were picked up by UploadVR.
It's thought that Meta has several headsets in development, with confirmation of "two devices on the roadmap", including a device aimed at gaming designed as an upgrade to the Quest 3, we're it's also expected that a lighter headset is in the works too.
The lightweight headset is thought to be a mixed reality device that will be tethered to a puck where the brains of the unit will live.
Meta has a relative advantage over its rivals having an established base of users and software partners, while rivals struggle to come up with a compelling experience. Affordability has bought people into the Quest's universe, while the segment as a whole still faces challenges.
While the environment that Apple Vision Pro creates, or the possibilities that VR hardware offers, remain impressive, wearing or using a headset for a prolonged period of time has its drawbacks.
That sees a high level of fatigue both to the eyes and neck, a sense of isolation when wearing the headset, as well as the insularity of the experience. Watching a movie on a huge screen in VR is impressive, but it feels like you're doing it shut in a box.
The tech segment has struggled with VR for over a decade: Meta is estimated to hold over 60% of the market, typically cited as offering the best experience and with new hardware on the horizon, that could be set to continue.
