Meta Quest in 2026: No Quest 4, but a 100g Headset Is Coming

A question we get a few times a month: "should we wait for the new one?" 

Short answer: no. There's no new Quest this year, and the one new headset Meta has announced won't be in shops until 2027. Here's what changed this year, and what it means if you're hiring headsets, buying them, or planning an event.

The software got renamed and tidied up

From late February 2026, Meta stopped the double-digit version numbers. The updates ran v81, v82, all the way to v85, and then the whole thing became Meta Horizon OS 2, with point releases after it – 2.1, 2.2 and so on.

It's a cosmetic change, but a welcome one. Nobody outside the enthusiast forums ever knew whether v83 was newer than v79.

The substance came with it:

• A new Navigator interface. The Worlds tab is gone from the system bar and the Horizon Feed is being retired. Battery and Wi-Fi now sit near the clock, where you'd expect them. It's a decluttering, and overdue.
• Windows snap to your walls. The headset detects the actual walls in your room and apps snap to them, with a manual override. You can resize windows as you move them rather than after.
• Offline voice typing on the Quest 3 and 3S. Dictation runs on the headset with no internet connection needed.
• Per-app media permissions, so apps get access individually rather than all at once.
• Xbox games in search, if you're streaming from a console.

The rollout covers the Quest 3, 3S, Pro and Quest 2. The Quest 2 is now a long way into its life and gets a reduced version of some features, but it hasn't been cut off.

Horizon Worlds left VR

This is the change most people missed, and it's the significant one.

Meta pulled Horizon Worlds from the Quest store at the end of March 2026, and removed the app from headsets entirely on 15 June 2026. Worlds still exists, but as a mobile-first thing in the Meta Horizon phone app. The VR creator bonus programme wound up with final payouts in May.

So the company that spent more than anyone on the idea of a social VR world has, for now, stopped running it in a headset.

The important footnote: ordinary standalone VR apps and games are completely unaffected. Everything you'd play at a party, a work function or an expo runs exactly as it did. This was Meta reorganising its own social platform, not a retreat from VR software.

The Quest 4 isn't coming this year

Two prototypes, reportedly codenamed Pismo Low and Pismo High – a mainstream tier and a premium tier – were both shelved during 2026. No consumer Quest 4 shipped this year, and reporting points to 2027 at the earliest, with a realistic on-shelf window somewhere between the 2027 holiday season and early 2028.

Reading between the lines, this looks less like a delay and more like a rethink of the form factor before committing to hardware.

The one that did get announced: Meta VR Glasses

The ultralight headset that was reported for months under the codename Puffin was made official at Meta Connect on 23 September, as Meta VR Glasses.

The headline number is weight: about 100 grams on your face. For comparison, a Quest 3 with a strap is several times that, and weight is the single biggest reason people take a headset off. It gets there by moving the battery and the processing into a separate puck of around 300 grams, connected by a thin cable. The puck runs the same software as the Quest 3, so the same apps and games are supported.

It's due in spring 2027 at US$1,299. We haven't seen New Zealand pricing or dates yet.

For events it's an interesting one, because the problem at a work function has never been pixels. It's that forty-five minutes in, people's necks are tired. At that price, though, it's a premium personal device rather than a Quest replacement, and we wouldn't plan an event around it until we've had one in our hands.

What it means for you

If you're hiring: nothing changes, and that's the point. The Quest 3 and 3S we send out are still Meta's current Quest headsets, and nothing announced replaces them for parties and events. You're not hiring something that's about to be superseded.

If you're buying for a business: there's no reason to wait. The next Quest is 2027 at the earliest, and the new VR Glasses are a pricier, different kind of device. Anything you buy now has a long support runway, and the software has been improving steadily without new hardware.

If you're planning an event for 2027: assume the Quest 3 and 3S. Anything lighter is a bonus, not a plan.

If you're building something custom: the platform is stable, which is good news. Experiences we build as browser-based WebXR are less exposed to hardware churn anyway – a web experience doesn't care much which headset opens it.

What to watch

Meta Connect, the company's annual event, ran on 23 and 24 September 2026. There was no new Quest and no change to Quest pricing. The VR news was the VR Glasses, and most of the rest was about smart glasses, which says a lot about where Meta's priorities have moved.

From here, the things worth watching are New Zealand pricing and availability for the VR Glasses, any real news on the next gaming Quest, and whether the Quest 2 finally drops off the support list.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Meta Quest 4 in 2026?

No. Both reported 2026 prototypes, codenamed Pismo Low and Pismo High, were shelved, and no consumer Quest 4 hardware shipped in 2026. Reporting points to 2027 at the earliest, with a likely retail window between the 2027 holiday season and early 2028. Meta didn't announce one at Connect in September 2026 either.

What is Meta Horizon OS 2?

It's the renamed Quest operating system. Meta retired the old double-digit version numbers after v85 in late February 2026 and switched to Horizon OS 2 with point releases – 2.1, 2.2 and so on. It brought a new Navigator interface, wall-snapping windows, offline voice typing and per-app media permissions.

Which headsets get Horizon OS 2?

The Quest 3, Quest 3S, Quest Pro and Quest 2. Some features are limited to newer hardware – offline on-device voice dictation, for example, is Quest 3 and 3S only.

Is Horizon Worlds still available on Quest?

No. Meta removed Horizon Worlds from the Quest store at the end of March 2026 and removed the app from headsets on 15 June 2026. It continues as a mobile-first experience in the Meta Horizon phone app. Standalone VR apps and games on Quest are unaffected.

What are Meta VR Glasses?

Meta VR Glasses is the ultralight headset previously reported under the codename Puffin. It was announced at Meta Connect in September 2026: about 100 grams on the face, with the battery and processing in a separate puck connected by a thin cable. It runs the same software as the Quest 3, is priced at US$1,299, and is due in spring 2027.

Should I wait for a new headset before buying or hiring?

No. There's no new Quest before 2027 at the earliest, and the Meta VR Glasses due in spring 2027 are a premium device at US$1,299 rather than a Quest replacement. The Quest 3 and 3S are Meta's current Quest headsets, and the software has kept improving without new hardware.

Is the Meta Quest 2 still supported?

Yes, it was included in the Horizon OS 2 rollout, though it's well into its life and receives a reduced version of some newer features. For events and hire, the Quest 3 and 3S are the sensible choice.

Does any of this affect hiring VR for an event?

No. The headsets used for parties, work functions and expos are the Quest 3 and 3S, they're the current generation, and none of the 2026 changes affect standalone VR apps or games. Gear arrives updated and configured either way.

Want to talk headsets?

If you're weighing up hiring versus buying for an event or a team, we're happy to talk it through – including when hiring twice a year beats owning gear that sits in a cupboard.

Contact page, or email info@virtualrealityhire.co.nz.