Why Mark Zuckerberg is not fazed by the Apple Vision Pro

In a companywide meeting with Meta employees today, CEO Mark Zuckerberg dismissed Apple’s new Vision Pro headset as a “threat” to Meta’s own VR ambitions.

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“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,” Zuckerberg said. “The Quest is about people interacting in new ways and feeling closer, while also being about being active and doing things. By contrast, every demo that they showed was a person sitting on a couch by themselves.”

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Zuckerberg’s comments come just days after Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, its first foray into the VR market. The headset, which starts at $3,499, is designed for professionals and creatives who need a high-powered device for VR gaming, design, and other applications.

Meta’s Quest 3, on the other hand, is a more affordable headset that’s aimed at a wider audience. It starts at $499 and is designed for gaming, fitness, and social experiences.

Zuckerberg argued that Meta’s focus on affordability and accessibility will give it an edge over Apple in the long run. “I think that the way that we’re going to win is by making VR more accessible and more affordable,” he said. “And I think that’s going to be a really important differentiator for us.”

Zuckerberg’s comments are a sign that Meta is feeling confident about its position in the VR market. The company has been investing heavily in VR for years, and it’s clear that it sees technology as a key part of its future.

Apple’s entry into the VR market is a sign that the technology is maturing and that it’s becoming more mainstream. However, it’s still too early to say whether Apple will be a major player in the VR market. Meta has a head start, and it’s unclear whether Apple will be able to compete on price or features.

Only time will tell whether Apple’s Vision Pro will be a success. However, one thing is for sure: Meta is not taking the competition lightly.

You can read Zuckerberg’s full remarks about Apple’s headset below:

Apple finally announced their headset, so I want to talk about that for a second. I was really curious to see what they were gonna ship. And obviously I haven’t seen it yet, so I’ll learn more as we get to play with it and see what happens and how people use it.

From what I’ve seen initially, I’d say the good news is that there’s no kind of magical solutions that they have to any of the constraints on laws of physics that our teams haven’t already explored and thought of. They went with a higher resolution display, and between that and all the technology they put in there to power it, it costs seven times more and now requires so much energy that now you need a battery and a wire attached to it to use it. They made that design trade-off and it might make sense for the cases that they’re going for.

But look, 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. We innovate to make sure that our products are as accessible and affordable to everyone as possible, and that is a core part of what we do. And we have sold tens of millions of Quests.

More importantly, our vision for the metaverse and presence is fundamentally social. It’s about people interacting in new ways and feeling closer in new ways. Our device is also about being active and doing things. By contrast, every demo that they showed was a person sitting on a couch by themself. I mean, that could be the vision of the future of computing, but like, it’s not the one that I want. There’s a real philosophical difference in terms of how we’re approaching this. And seeing what they put out there and how they’re going to compete just made me even more excited and in a lot of ways optimistic that what we’re doing matters and is going to succeed. But it’s going to be a fun journey.

What does this mean for the future of VR?

Zuckerberg’s comments suggest that Meta is confident that it can win the VR market by focusing on affordability and accessibility. Apple’s entry into the market could certainly shake things up, but it’s still too early to say whether Apple will be a major player.

The VR market is still in its early stages, and it’s unclear what the future holds. However, it’s clear that both Meta and Apple are committed to the technology, and it will be interesting to see how the market develops in the years to come.

Here are some of the key differences between the Meta Quest 3 and the Apple Vision Pro:

• Price: The Meta Quest 3 starts at $499, while the Apple Vision Pro starts at $3,499.
• Target audience: The Meta Quest 3 is aimed at a wider audience, while the Apple Vision Pro is designed for professionals and creatives.
• Features: The Meta Quest 3 has a lower resolution display and less powerful processor than the Apple Vision Pro. However, the Meta Quest 3 is more portable and has a longer battery life.

It remains to be seen which headset will be more successful. However, the competition between Meta and Apple is likely to drive innovation in the VR market.