The Two Giants of the Technology Industry, Meta and Tencent, Join Forces to Bring a Virtual Reality Headset (VR) to the Chinese Market

Meta has had difficulties in the Chinese market in recent years, as Facebook and Instagram have been blocked by Beijing since 2009. This happened after deadly unrest in the Xinjiang province, allegedly fueled by social networks. The relationship between the US and China is currently tense, which also affects the technology industry. Export restrictions on high-end technologies are causing tensions between the two countries, as the US wants to prevent their use by the Chinese military.

Meta plans to use cheaper optics for its headset compared to the Quest 3 for the Chinese market. This version will also be available in other markets. Additionally, the company wants to secure a larger share of the sales, while Tencent would receive a larger share of the revenue from content and services. The collaboration between Meta and the Chinese company also allows Tencent's games and other apps to be available on the affordable headset.

The introduction of the VR headset in China takes place against the background of the upcoming release of Apple's mixed reality headset Vision Pro. This targets fans and has a price that is more than three times that of Meta's most expensive Quest headset. The cooperation between Meta and Tencent thus also offers a certain protection against competition in the market. It remains to be seen how successful Meta's VR headset will be in China, but it is definitely a step in the right direction for the company.