Meta's Apple Vision Pro Rival Reportedly Canceled After A Review Meeting Between Mark Zuckerberg, CTO Andrew Bosworth, And Others: 'Decisions Like This Happen All The Time…'

Meta Platforms Inc. META has reportedly decided to discontinue its development of a headset that was intended to rival Apple Inc.‘s AAPL Vision Pro.

What Happened: The project, internally dubbed La Jolla, was part of Meta’s four-year strategy for virtual and mixed-reality headsets. The development of La Jolla, which began in November 2023, was abruptly canceled in mid-August 2024, AppleInsider reported on Saturday.

The decision to abandon the project was made during a product review meeting attended by Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth, according to a report by The Information. Bosworth later commented on Threads, stating that many prototypes are in development at all times, but not all make it to production.

“Decisions like this happen all the time, and stories based on chatter about one individual decision will never give the real picture,” said Bosworth.

Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.

While the exact reasons for the cancellation are not known, it is speculated that cost issues may have played a part. According to the report, Meta was focused on keeping the cost of the La Jolla headset under $1,000, a target that proved unachievable.

Despite the project’s cancellation, sources within Meta suggest that the La Jolla headset could be revived in the future, and technology developed for it may be used in other products, according to the report.

Meta did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.

See Also: Amazon Delivery Drivers Now Classified As Employees By Federal Regulator: Union Says ‘Won A Monumental Determination’

Why It Matters: Earlier in the year, Zuckerberg had expressed skepticism about the mainstream success of augmented reality (AR) glasses, particularly those without "full holographic displays,” in a subtle jab at Apple Vision Pro.

Furthermore, Meta’s CTO Bosworth had also joined the chorus, highlighting several issues with Apple Vision Pro, essentially dismissing the reports about Cupertino’s first-generation mixed-reality headset being technologically superior.

Meanwhile, Apple’s Vision Pro is reportedly struggling to find its ‘killer app’ to justify its $3,500 price tag.

Read Next:

• ChatGPT-Maker OpenAI Taps Former Meta Exec To Drive Strategy Amid Growing Exodus

Image Via Shutterstock

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote