Meta’s canceled Quest Pro 2 could pave the way for a major VR headset redesign in 2027 – and I’m all for it

Meta could launch a new kind of Quest Pro in 2027

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Meta may have reportedlydumped its plans to launch a Meta Quest Pro 2in 2027, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be serving mixed reality goodness that year. According to a new report, we could see a pair of light mixed reality glasses – codenamed ‘Puffin’ – launch instead, and if the leaks are true Puffin sounds like a fantastic alternative to the canceled headset.

Once again coming viaThe Information(behind a paywall) – who also shared details of the ‘La Jolla’ cancellation (the VR headset project likely set to be the Quest Pro 2) – Puffin is described as a 110g device that’ll look like opaque glasses offering VR and MR experiences using pancake lenses and passthrough cameras.

To cut the weight so dramatically – for context theMeta Quest 3is 515g – Meta would shift the battery and most computing hardware into a puck that’s tethered to the headset via a wire that Meta “hopes” will fit in a person’s pocket. What’s more, Puffin won’t offer controllers in the box, with it reportedly relying solely on hand tracking – with The Information adding it may use a version of the Vision Pro’s gaze-and-pinch control scheme, suggesting Puffin will boast eye tracking.

This would be entirely different from anything Meta has launched before, but with Puffin seemingly set to focus on watching media and being used for productivity – like theApple Vision Pro– I wouldn’t be shocked if this device launched using theMeta Quest Prorather than adopting an all-new title so that it has a ‘Pro’ name that marks it as a direct competitor toApple’s device.

A Meta Quest Pro 2 I could love

I think the Vision Pro’s tethered battery was a smart weight-saving idea, and moving even more of a headset’s hardware to an external puck seems like a logical evolution to allow for even greater weight-saving. We’ve already seen something similar with some of thebest AR smart glasses(like theXreal Air 2) working by being tethered to a phone or device like theXreal Beam Pro.

The idea makes extra sense if the headset is dedicated to more static entertainment and/or productivity tasks. Wearing a 110g headset for a whole two-hour movie (or longer film) or for a day of work would be a much easier task than with a headset weighing over 500g – I should know I tried wearing the Meta Quest Pro for a whole week over a year ago and didn’t love the pain in my neck it caused.

The only detail we’re left in the dark about is the cost, but considering La Jolla was apparently canceled because Meta couldn’t keep it under the original Meta Quets Pro’s price ($999.99 / £999.99 / AU$1,729.99) I suspect Meta’s aiming for a similar target with Puffin. Though as with all rumors, we should take these details with a pinch of salt. Given the recent reports of Meta’s La Jolla project cancellation, there’s a chance that even if Puffin has been greenlit it could face the same fate at some point between now and the end of 2027.

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But I seriously hope Puffin sees the light of day. This bold redesign is exactlywhat I’ve wanted to see from a Meta Quest Pro 2, and if it does launch with that name attached Puffin sounds like it could live up to the original’s promise in a serious way.

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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.

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