Meta Quest 4 Leak Suggests a Long Wait for the Next VR Headset

A new leak indicates that the release of the Meta Quest 4 could be as far off as 2027. However, there may be a new headset from the company coming in 2026, just not a Meta Quest as the line is currently known.

The Meta Quest line of headsets has been a successful one for the company, bringing wireless virtual reality to the masses in an easy-to-approach form. At the moment, the most recent releases are the Meta Quest 3 line, including the Quest 3S, but with the Meta Quest 3 already approaching its second release date anniversary, some have turned their eyes to the future, wondering what Meta will follow up the headset with next.

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Unfortunately, Meta Quest fans may have a bit of time to wait yet, as two leakers have indicated that the headset will not be released in 2025 or 2026. VR enthusiast Luna has stated that the current plan indicates that the Meta Quest 4 is being pushed back to 2027 in favor of a new, high-end Meta headset that will launch in 2026. This appeared to be correlated by Brad Lynch, who indicate that the upcoming Valve VR headset Deckard will release by the end of 2026, but not the Meta Quest 4.

Prior leaks and reveals from those working in Reality Labs indicate that Meta tends to have multiple prototypes in the running at any given time, and that many of them end up being scrapped for one reason or another. Allegedly, two prototypes that would likely have taken the form of the Meta Quest 4 and the Meta Quest 4S were canceled, though no reasons have been offered as to why. Meta may also feel that its prototyped headsets haven’t advanced enough from the Quest 3/3S to make it worth releasing a successor at this time, instead focusing on a brand-new style of Meta headset that could launch in 2026.

Currently, the new “Puffin” Meta headset design bears similarities to the Apple Vision Pro, and may not be intended for full-fledged VR gaming experiences. Instead, it may be another attempt on Meta’s part to produce a headset that it hopes will be adopted for productivity purposes, like team communication and working in mixed reality. The most interesting thing about the headset’s design is that the battery and processing hardware will reportedly be shifted into an external puck, which will ideally be placed in a user’s pocket, dramatically reducing the amount of weight and bulk on the user’s head and neck.

With that said, projects at Meta are constantly shifting, so these leaks could be upended in the future. For the moment, it sounds like one of the best VR headsets will be the Meta Quest 3 for at least the remainder of 2025.

Brand

Meta

Resolution (per eye)

2064×2208

Display Type

LCD

Storage

128 GB, 512 GB

Connectivity

WiFi 6E, USB Type-C

Battery Life

2-3 hours