LG Ceases XR Product Efforts, But Will Continue R&D
LG has ceased its XR product commercialization efforts, though will continue R&D. The company was once building a Quest Pro successor with Meta.
LG has ceased its XR product commercialization efforts, it confirmed, though will still continue long-term R&D.
The news of LG ending its XR product plans was first reported by South Korean news outlet The Bell, citing an industry source. In a statement given to the outlet, LG confirmed the claim but clarified that it will still continue long-term XR research and development.
According to The Bell, LG took the decision because it believes the XR market isn't growing as quickly as it expected, and it wants to focus more on heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) and robotics.
David Heaney
LG had a very short history in the VR market. In 2016 it released a compact smartphone-tethered headset for viewing 360° videos, to terrible reviews, and in 2017 it showed off a PC-tethered SteamVR headset prototype that it never shipped.
Six years later, in 2023, a South Korean news outlet reported that Meta had partnered with LG to make future Quest Pro headsets, with the first device reportedly planned for 2025.
In early 2024 Meta and LG officially confirmed an XR "strategic collaboration" that would include "next-gen XR device development", following further reports of a 2025 high-end headset. But just a few months later LG confirmed it was "controlling its pace" admid multiple reports that the headset had either been delayed to 2027 or canceled entirely.
David Heaney
Between the LG partnership's announcement and reported delay or cancelation, Meta announced it will rebrand the Quest system software to Horizon OS and provide it to third-party headset makers, starting with Asus and Lenovo. At the time we noted that it was strange LG wasn't mentioned in the announcement, but now it seems clear that Asus and Lenovo may have been brought in to act as replacements for LG.
