Meta prioritizes shipping ultra-lightweight headset with external compute pack & Horizon OS in 2026, Meta Quest 4 may not ship until 2027

VR news site UploadVR reports, citing multiple sources, that Meta is prioritizing the shipment of an ultra-lightweight Horizon OS-based headset with a wired external computing pack in 2026. According to these sources, two models codenamed 'Pismo Low' and 'Pismo High,' which were considered to be the leading candidates for the Quest 4 series, have been canceled, and the next-generation candidate for Meta Quest, which will succeed the traditional platform, is likely not to be shipped until 2027 at the earliest.

Meta Prioritizing Ultra-Light Headset With Puck Over Traditional Quest 4
https://www.uploadvr.com/meta-prioritizing-puffin-for-2026-pushing-out-quest-4-to-2027/

Meta is accelerating development of an ultra-lightweight peripheral vision open headset with a built-in battery and wired computing pack that runs the same Horizon OS as the Meta Quest 3. The project is codenamed 'Puffin' and is expected to be released by the end of 2026.

Yes, I too have heard whispers that Meta may swap the release schedule and debut their new high-end device in 2026, rather than Quest 4. Quest 4 would then ship a year later.

— Luna (@Lunayian) June 2, 2025

The existence of 'Puffin' was reported in August 2024 , and Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth confirmed the report in an interview with The Verge.

Meta's lightweight MR glasses 'Puffin' development plan greenlighted, release target is 2027 - GIGAZINE

The headset developed by Puffin is a headset device equipped with Horizon OS, just like Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S, but it is likely that the focus will be on functioning as a 'portable multi-monitor setup that can generate virtual displays as large as you want, wherever you want. This is possible with current VR/AR headsets, but the point of Puffin is that the headset itself is very lightweight by making the computing pack external.

And sources told uploadVR that the next candidate for a standalone VR headset, like the Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S, is likely to ship as early as 2027.

However, uploadVR states, 'It is important to note that Puffin itself may be canceled at any time, or a completely new headset development project may be launched.' In fact, it has been reported that Puffin itself is a plan that was started in place of the cancellation of the high-end MR headset 'La Jolla,' and Bosworth also said on SNS, 'Meta is always developing multiple headsets in parallel, and most of them are canceled.'

Meta explained to investors that revenue from its VR/AR business was driven by declining sales of the Quest headset and sluggish sales of the Meta Quest, but that this was partially offset by increased sales of Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses.