Looking for upcoming VR headsets that are potentially coming in 2024? We’ve rounded up all the big hitters, such as Valve’s Deckard, the Quest 3 Lite, and more.
The launch of the Meta Quest 3 has made VR more affordable and accessible than ever, and Apple’s entry into the VR scene with the Vision Pro has reignited the industry and the market for high-end headsets.
Other hardware makers are keen to get involved thanks to this newly heightened interest. Many recognizable names such as Google, Samsung, and Valve are said to have headsets in the works, and some smaller companies have some very interesting projects planned.
Valve Deckard VR headset
The makers of Steam Deck are working on a successor to the Valve Index. The company has confirmed that it is developing a second-gen VR headset but hasn’t revealed any specifics yet.
The company feels confident about virtual reality as it has the required experience to build new hardware and a library of games to utilize the prowess of the upcoming headset.
Valve’s game library and aggressive pricing are also the reasons behind the success of the Valve handheld gaming console. The Valve Index headset, on the other hand, was released in 2019 and, despite being priced at $1000 for the complete kit, is doing decently well.
The upcoming VR headset from Valve could be an exciting gadget that could take on the headsets of Bigscreen, which look to benefit from Valve’s game library.
Apple Vision Pro Lite
- Resolution per eye: 3660 x 3200
- Refresh rate: Up to 100Hz
- Field of view: 100-degree
- Price: As low as $1,500
- Weight: 600g
Since the launch of the Apple Vision Pro, rumors have surfaced that Apple is working on a cheaper and smaller version of the headset. The leaks suggest that the upcoming headset will be an ‘entry-level’ version.The main obstacle is the OLED displays, which are the most significant driver of the high cost of the headset. Reports say that Apple is attempting to find a cheaper alternative, possibly by finding a new supplier. Rumors reported by online tipster Tech_reve suggested that the ‘entry-level’ Vision Pro could cost as little as $1,500. There has as of yet been no official confirmation or any word of a potential launch date.
Project Moohan by Samsung and Google
- Resolution per eye: 4K
- Operating system: Android
Various reports hint that Samsung and Google, already collaborating on Android and Wear OS, are coming together to counter Apple. The result of the joint effort could be a powerful XR headset called Project Moohan.
Reports suggest that this Extended Reality (XR) headset might carry Samsung’s hardware (and branding) while Google is prepping up Android XR software to power the headset. Both companies want to make an impressive headset that would take on Apple’s Vision Pro.
However, the teams of these two tech giants are reportedly frustrated over the delays and fear of making an inferior product.
On the hardware side, Google has a long list of failed AR-related products, including Google Glass, Cardboard, Daydream, Tango, and Iris. The company has seen some success with software like ARCore, Tilt Brush, and several AR Google Maps features.
This is why Samsung seems keen on taking control of the project and wants to ensure it sees the light of day.
The launch date of the Project Moohan is anyone’s guess at the moment. However, a Korean newspaper reported Samsung and Google have hit the reset button on their project and delayed the launch.
As per the outlet, Samsung is now planning to use higher resolution screens for its XR headset to match the 4K-in-each-eye (8K) displays offered by the Apple Vision Pro. This might push the headset’s launch to mid-2024.
In May 2024, news emerged that Google had signed a partnership with mixed reality company Magic Leap, with a specific emphasis on Magic Leap’s optical technology. This may indicate that Google plans to integrate Magic Leap optical tech into Project Moohan, though this may delay the project even further.
At Samsung Unpacked in July 2024, Samsung’s President and Head of the Mobile Experience Business TM Roh made references to a “new XR platform coming this year.” This is believed to be related to Project Moohan.
Later on at the same event, the Senior Vice President of Platforms and Devices at Google, Rick Osterloh confirmed that Google was still involved with the project.
Pico Project Swan
Pico is a smaller VR device maker owned by ByteDance. Reportedly the upcoming Pico 5 was cancelled in favour of a high-end mixed reality device that is hoped to rival the Apple Vision Pro.
Little is known so far about the specifics of this device, save that it is being developed under the codename ‘Project Swan’. It is not thought to be related to the Pico 4S project.
Pico 4 Ultra
- CPU: Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
- RAM: 12GB
- Connectivity: 6 GHz Wif-Fi
- Resolution: 2160×2160 per eye
- Refresh rate: 90 Hz
- OS: Android based
The sales figures for the original Pico 4 headset did not meet the expectations of parent company ByteDance. So according to reports by UploadVR, the firm went back to the drawing board with a smaller and lighter headset.
The end result, the Pico 4 Ultra, is powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset, similar to the one used in the Meta Quest 3. However, instead of 8GB of RAM like the Quest 3, the Pico Ultra comes with 12GB of RAM and features 6GHz Wi-Fi capability.
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ByeDance launched the Pico 4 Ultra in China on August 20 for ¥4300, which is around $600.
The Pico 4 Ultra will begin shipping to customers outside China on September 20th. Pre-orders for customers in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region will open on September 6th. There was no confirmation on a US launch date.
We were lucky enough to attend the UK launch event for the Pico 4 Ultra, where its capabilities were demonstrated. Also shown off was the new Motion Tracker, a small device weighing only 27g that can be strapped to the user’s ankles to provide extremely accurate full-body motion tracking.
A bundle containing the Pico 4 Ultra, controllers, and two Motion Trackers will be available when pre-orders go live.
Sony MR Headset
- Resolution per eye: 4K
- Processor: Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2
- Display: 1.3-inch OLED
At CES 2024, Sony unveiled a new Mixed Reality (MR) headset. The unnamed headset is set to feature dual 4K OLED displays and a range of sensors to allow real-world pass-through and is powered by a Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 processor.
Unlike the PSVR 2, this headset is a standalone unit and is said to be geared towards use by developers, rather than consumers. It has a unique set of controllers which are divided into a ‘pointer’ unit and an ‘interaction’ unit.
Early demos of this unit have been seen at some trade shows, though it appears to still be in an incomplete state. An UploadVR journalist received a hands-on demonstration at the Augmented World Expo and indicated that the software and hardware were both far from a shippable state.
The headset is set to be released sometime in late 2024, though a price point is yet to be specified.
Meta Quest 3S
- Resolution per eye: 1832 x 1920
- Processor: Snapdragon XR Gen 2
- Lenses: Fresnel
- Price: Less than $499.99
Nothing has yet been officially announced regarding the Meta Quest 3S, though there have been several persistent rumors.
It is generally believed that if the headset does exist, it will be a cut-down budget version of the existing Quest 3 headset.
Another leak from Lunayian in May 2024 said that the Quest 3S would use the Quest 2 Fresnel lenses, and have a resolution of 1,832 x 1,920 pixels per eye. However, the budget unit would have the full-color mixed reality passthrough from Quest 3.
The name is also a point of debate, with some sources referring to it as the Quest 3 Lite, while others name the device as the Quest 3S.
In August, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg posted in his Power On newsletter that the headset, provisionally called the Meta Quest 3S, could be priced between $300 to $400. This low price is believed to be possible by Meta selling tracked controllers separately. Other analysts believe that Meta is unlikely to remove controllers from the bundle.
It is believed that Meta will officially announce the Quest 3S during its Connect event, which will be occurring on September 25-26.
Meta Quest Pro 2
A report from Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu of The Information indicates that Meta is working on a successor to the Quest Pro.
According to the report, the Quest Pro 2 project has been ongoing since November 2023. This timeframe also coincides with the beginning of a partnership between Meta and LG to create optics technology for future Meta headsets.
Further details are limited and unconfirmed, but a leaked roadmap indicated that the Quest Pro 2 would have a higher-resolution display, but retain some aspects of the original Quest Pro design. The Quest Pro 2 is also said to use Meta’s experimental ‘Codec Avatars’.
New HTC Vive
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2
HTC has teased its intention to dive back into the consumer VR market. The company posted a new video on the official HTC YouTube Channel and other social media accounts.
The video is titled HTC VIVE: A Vision for You and shows a silhouette of the new headset. Little other information was made available in the video.
However, Qualcomm has confirmed that HTC is one of five companies that will be using the new Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset. This chipset is an upgraded version of the XR2 Gen 2 currently used in the Meta Quest 3.
