Mark Zuckerberg sets expectations for his new $1,500 metaverse gadget at rock bottom - CNBC

Critics and tech pundits weren't the lone radical disillusioned by Meta's caller $1,500 virtual world headset. Mark Zuckerberg himself was too.

In an interview published Tuesday with The Verge, Zuckerberg said VR, the exertion helium stake his full $340 cardinal institution connected a twelvemonth ago, is entering "the trough of disillusionment." That's a word folks successful the tech manufacture similar to usage erstwhile excitement astir a caller exertion drastically wanes.

His comments efficaciously spot expectations for the occurrence of the caller Meta Quest Pro, which goes connected merchantability Oct. 25, astatine adjacent to zero. At the aforesaid time, Zuckerberg reiterated his content that the metaverse volition beryllium the adjacent iteration of computing aft the smartphone — it's conscionable going to instrumentality a agelong time. Specifically, helium told The Verge "it's not going to beryllium until aboriginal this decade" erstwhile metaverse gadgets similar the Quest Pro volition beryllium "fully mature."

But Meta isn't selling headsets aboriginal this decade. It's selling them now, and expecting technologists and bundle developers to invent compelling reasons to bargain one.

That was the biggest takeaway from Meta's lawsuit Tuesday — not the hardware and what it tin do, but the deficiency of compelling bundle and usage cases to marque you consciousness similar you request to tally retired and bargain one. If this was expected to beryllium Meta's "iPhone moment," it failed to deliver.

And support successful mind, this is each happening arsenic Meta's superior concern done the Facebook and Instagram apps, face crushing headwinds. Users are leaving Facebook. Reels, Meta's TikTok competitor, has struggled to marque wealth from ads amid mediocre engagement, arsenic The Wall Street Journal reported past week. Apple's caller privateness updates made it much hard for Meta to people ads to iPhone users. The banal is down a whopping 60% truthful acold this year.

Meanwhile, Meta is losing astatine slightest $10 cardinal a twelvemonth trying to unit the metaverse into beingness arsenic Zuckerberg himself warns of waning involvement successful the concept.

Yes, it's imaginable Zuckerberg volition beryllium proven close astatine the extremity of the decennary oregon immoderate clip successful the 2030s. But it's 2022, and the institution has plentifulness of modern issues to negociate earlier then.

In a enactment to Meta investors Wednesday morning, Needham analysts praised Zuckerberg's risky ambition for the metaverse, but besides noted the value of assessing wherever the concern is today.

"Our occupation is to marque banal calls," the Needham analysts said, aboriginal adding, "We respect Mark Zuckerberg's committedness to a imaginativeness successful the look of overwhelming odds. Meta is consenting to marque large bets that whitethorn alteration the satellite for 2 cardinal consumers, oregon make an epic fail."

WATCH: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveils $1,500 mixed world headset, the Meta Quest Pro