Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META) is due to kick off its Connect 2024 event on Wednesday at 1 pm ET.
The company will live-stream the event on the 'Meta for Developers' Facebook page with plans to showcase its mixed-reality headsets, smart glasses, and AI software updates.
Prior reports indicated Quest 3S device for $299.99 and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
Bank of America analyst Justin Post and Rosenblatt analyst Barton Crockett expect a cheaper virtual reality headset. They eye a prototype of next-gen AR glasses with a bigger focus on mixed reality and augmented reality.
They expect AI product launches for core apps, announcements on Meta AI, new AI messaging capabilities, and an AI subscription product.
According to a Tom's Guide report, a Walmart Inc WMT store display reveals details about the affordable headset, including its resolution, bundled controllers, and a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow. The headset could include both controllers and a game.
The headset display highlights a resolution of 1,832 x 1,920 per eye, lower than the higher-end Quest 3's 4K displays. It also features 256GB storage, up from prior expectations of 128GB, as per Tom's Guide.
The higher storage could cost $50-$100 more. The leak notes that the more expensive Quest 3 will only include the game. Meta Connect could also finally provide an official launch date for Batman: Arkham Shadow per Tom's Guide conjecture.
Last year, at Connect 2023, Meta unveiled the Quest 3 mixed-reality headset powered by Qualcomm Inc's QCOM Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip with a Microsoft Corp MSFT 365 integration.
The company also launched Ray-Ban smart glasses featuring a 2MP wide-angle camera, five mics, and built-in speakers. Connect 2023 also witnessed the debut of Meta AI and the revelation that Xbox Cloud Gaming was coming to Quest 3.
One of the most hyped and premium AR/VR headsets, Apple Vision Pro, is also having trouble justifying its $3,500 price tag. Vision Pro's launch has been slower than anticipated due to developers dedicating their resources to platforms with billions of users.
Price Action: META stock is up 1.29% at $570.67 at the last check on Wednesday.