Meta Quest Pro 2 could be back from the dead (yet again), and Quest 4 is reportedly in the works

The Meta Quest Pro on its charging pad on a desk, in front of a window with the curtain closed

(Image credit: Meta)

Leaks tease that the Meta Quest 4 and Pro 2 are in development
Meta Quest Pro 2 has reportedly been canceled twice previously
No release date or specs details right now

The third time might really be the charm, folks. Despite reports that two separate Meta Quest Pro 2 prototypes were canceled mid-development, Meta is reportedly having another crack at its high-end offering, according to insider sources – and less surprisingly, it’s apparently working on a Meta Quest 4, too.

This comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who, in his latest newsletter, cited insider sources familiar with Meta’s XR plans, with these insiders revealing that these two Quest headsets were in the works – alongside a few Meta smart glasses we’ve reported on previously such as one with a display that could land later this year.

While leaks should be taken with a pinch of salt (unofficial info can always change, especially with Meta, who we’ve seen cancel in-development projects previously), the Meta Quest 4 being in the works shouldn’t be much of a shocker. While the Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S aren’t quite matching the standout success of the wildly popular Meta Quest 2, they are still doing well for themselves – per the Meta Quest phone app’s Christmas day success and the Quest 3’s growing popularity in the Steam Hardware Survey (it’s up to 20.14% of all headsets used, behind only the Quest 2 at 34.21%).

Meta Quest Pro 2: back for round three

What’s more interesting, is that a Meta Quest Pro 2 could be on the way. Gurman doesn’t go into specifics but says that Meta is working on “a new high-end model that could eventually become a successor to the Quest Pro mixed-reality headset.” Not much else is known, but Gurman could be referring to a previously teased Meta prototype that was potentially set to replace the two canceled Quest Pro 2 prototypes we’d heard about: Puffin.

For context, back in July 2023, we reported that the Meta Quest Pro 2 had been canceled – or, more specifically, that the prototype many believed would develop into being the Quest Pro 2 (to use Meta’s semantic language) had been shelved. Things went quiet until 2024 when, in February, there was buzz that Meta and LG could partner on a high-end headset with OLED displays to rival the Apple Vision Pro. However, our initial excitement turned to disappointment fairly swiftly.

In May, there was talk that the LG partnership was off, followed by reports in August that the OLED Quest pro 2 Project – codenamed La Jolla – had kicked the bucket. Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth again clarified that technically, the Quest Pro 2 wasn’t canceled, just a prototype, but it didn’t dispel the sense that the Quest Pro line was doomed.

That is until we heard about Puffin, a third prototype XR device, which Gurman could be referring to in his report. Puffin was leaked back in 2024 when we heard about the La Jolla cancellation, and it offers us a completely different concept for a headset – a lightweight (110g) glasses-looking device for VR and MR rather than AR like other specs.

Meta Orion Hands On — Ar glasses, like Orion, are the future (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

What I like about the Puffin leak is it plays into Meta’s promise of what its Pro-line should be – a look at the future of XR.

While I love VR headsets, the clear industry trend is that glasses are the next stage of evolution for this field – even if, at first, they’ll be less capable to account for weight and size restrictions. Puffin, with a design that isn’t trying to be like regular glasses – and so could get away with design decisions like putting a battery puck in your pocket like the Apple Vision Pro or having a bulkier frame – could focus on function over fashion, and in-keeping with the Quest Pro’s promise show us where accessible XR tech could be in a few years by giving us a glimpse via a prosumer product that won’t be the cheapest.

We’ll obviously have to wait and see what Meta has up its sleeve, as it could be that Puffin and the Quest Pro 2 are distinct gadgets, but I seriously hope they aren’t. While I liked the original Quest Pro at launch, it didn’t get the software support it craved and ended up being too mundane of an upgrade – resulting in it being outclassed too quickly.

Puffin sounds like a far more engaging proposition with a unique design that could give the Quest Pro 2 the staying power it desperately needs.

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Hamish is a Senior Staff Writer for TechRadar and you’ll see his name appearing on articles across nearly every topic on the site from smart home deals to speaker reviews to graphics card news and everything in between. He uses his broad range of knowledge to help explain the latest gadgets and if they’re a must-buy or a fad fueled by hype. Though his specialty is writing about everything going on in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality.