Meta denies outsourcing Quest VR headset design to China
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES — Meta has strongly denied claims that it plans to outsource the design of its Quest virtual reality headsets to Chinese manufacturer Goertek.
The rumors, initially spread by former VR developer Cix Liv and later supported by a report from The Information, suggested that Meta would hand over control of key hardware design elements. However, Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth has publicly dismissed these allegations.
“We continue to design our headsets in-house as we have and have no plans to change that,” Bosworth wrote in a series of posts on X. He clarified that while Meta collaborates with manufacturers like Goertek during production, there is no significant shift in the company’s approach to hardware development.
someone is pushing the design rumor hard to multiple outlets, and that aspect remains false. We continue to design our headsets in house as we have and have no plans to change that. We always partner with our manufacturers to some degree but nothing material is changing there.
— Boz (@boztank) December 5, 2024
Rumors claim outsourcing and layoffs in Reality Labs
The controversy began when Cix Liv alleged that Meta’s internal headset design team had been disbanded and that Goertek would take over the entire design process for future Quest headsets. He further claimed that mass layoffs within Meta’s Reality Labs division were imminent in early 2025 as the company shifts its focus from virtual reality (VR) to augmented reality (AR).
These claims were amplified by The Information, which reported that Goertek had already started designing the outer shell of upcoming Quest headsets and could take over full headset design responsibilities by 2030.
The report also alleged that Meta is planning to move some component design, such as lenses and displays, to Goertek as part of a broader hardware development shift.
Meta stresses longstanding partnership with Goertek
Bosworth countered these claims by emphasizing Meta’s longstanding collaboration with Goertek as part of its design-for-manufacturability (DFM) process.
“Goertek is a great partner,” he stated, adding that their role in carrying designs across product generations has been consistent with past practices. “This isn’t a change from how we’ve done business with them even as we scale it up.”
To be clear, Goertek is a great partner and as parts of our stack are more mature and used from headset to headset we're glad to have them carry the designs across which has always been true. But this isn't a change from how we've done business with them even as we scale it up.
— Boz (@boztank) December 5, 2024
Meta has reportedly been diversifying its manufacturing operations, including plans to move half of its Quest production from China to Vietnam. However, Bosworth reiterated that these adjustments do not indicate a shift in Meta’s core design strategy.
Strong denial of outsourcing reports
In his strongest rebuttal yet, Bosworth dismissed the outsourcing claims as either misinformation or deliberate falsehoods.
“Anyone shopping this nonsense is either a liar or a fool,” he declared on X.
As speculation continues about Meta’s hardware strategy, the company remains committed to designing its VR headsets internally. With competition growing in the XR space, Meta appears determined to maintain control over product development while leveraging manufacturing partnerships for efficiency.
