Facebook reportedly working on a new flagship virtual-reality headset – Business Insider – Business Insider

Facebook bet $2 billion on virtual reality back in 2014 when it bought Oculus VR, the startup that went from Silicon Valley darling to Facebook subsidiary in just a few short years.

The company has continued its commitment to VR in the years since, and its most successful product to date the $400 standalone Oculus Quest headset is reportedly getting a new version that's lighter and more powerful than its predecessor.

That's according to a new piece from Bloomberg, which reports that Facebook has several versions of the new Quest in the works. Facebook has yet to officially announce a new version of the Oculus Quest.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed the price and release date of the Oculus Quest in April 2019. It has dropped in price by $100 since launch. Facebook

The new headset was planned for a late 2020 launch, according to Bloomberg, but may not hit that target because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Facebook has reportedly not settled on the final design and specs for the Quest successor, but the general vision appears to be to make it smaller and lighter, and for its screen to have higher fidelity than the original model.

The Quest has been a rare success in the struggling virtual-reality market. The headset is sold out, and has been for some time a measure of Facebook's inability to manufacture or restock VR headsets during a pandemic and of consumer interest.

Both versions of the Oculus Quest headset are sold out on Facebook's online storefront. Facebook

Unlike Facebook's higher end Oculus Rift S, which requires a powerful computer to function, and the Oculus Go, which has limited capability because of its relatively low horsepower, the Oculus Quest occupies a middle ground between super high fidelity and accessibility. That middle ground has proved fertile for sowing consumer interest in buying VR headsets an issue that's plagued virtual reality since the early '90s.

Facebook did not respond immediately to Business Insider's request for comment.

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Facebook reportedly working on a new flagship virtual-reality headset - Business Insider - Business Insider