While Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t think Apple Inc.’s first-generation mixed reality headset had any “magical” technological advancements, he does believe that Cupertino’s entry in the AR/VR segment will give more “validation to the category.”
What Happened: Zuckerberg, on Thursday, appeared on Lex Fridman’s podcast show, during which he touched upon various subjects, including his opinions about Elon Musk, the company’s censorship approach, experiencing Jiu Jutsu, artificial intelligence and metaverse — primarily the augmented reality and virtual reality headsets.
One major point that stood out during the interview that spanned over two hours was Zuckerberg crediting Apple with bringing a “certain level of validation” for the mixed reality category.
He said, “We were the primary folks out there before saying hey, I think that this virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality – this is going to be a big part of the next computing platform,” adding, “Having Apple come in and share that vision will make a lot of people who are fans of their products really consider that.”
The Meta CEO further stated that while Apple’s entry into the segment will increase demand for the overall space, “Quest 3 is actually the primary beneficiary.”
According to him, many people whose interest got suddenly piqued would want to invest in headsets and might think that considering an affordable but good device is more feasible than other options.
While Zuckerberg admitted that he hadn’t tried the Apple Vision Pro headset yet, he said he understands why the Tim Cook-led company put up a hefty price tag of $3,500 on the device, considering all the things packed in it.
However, he maintained that the device wouldn’t be affordable to many people, which could be a huge disadvantage for Apple but an advantage for other headset-makers, including Meta.
Why It’s Important: Prior to this line of questioning, Zuckerberg explained how Meta is trying to ensure the devices are “as good as possible” and affordable. “We’re not just trying to serve an elite or wealthy crowd.”
He also said that when Quest Pro was launched last year, it cost $1500, but now the company has lowered the price. “In a lot of ways, mixed reality in Quest 3 is even better and more advanced level than what we were able to deliver in Quest Pro,” that too at a relatively affordable price range of $499.