Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the corporate’s Meta Join convention in the present day with anticipated, however nonetheless extremely anticipated information: The corporate’s subsequent digital actuality headset shall be known as the Meta Quest Professional, and also will be the primary Quest product to supply a blended actuality expertise, bringing the metaverse and the actual world collectively.
Because the title implies, the Meta Quest Professional isn’t going to be a alternative for the $400 Meta Quest 2, however a extra superior various that’s geared in the direction of productiveness and social purposes in VR —as a substitute of simply enjoyable, video games, and distinctive 360-degree experiences— facilitated by way of considerably upgraded {hardware}.
The Meta Quest Professional appears sleeker than the Meta Quest 2—virtually like a pair of ski goggles—for a few causes. For starters, it now makes use of a curved cell battery located on the again of the person’s head, built-in into the pinnacle strap, which must also present a extra balanced really feel when worn. That’s a very good factor, as a result of the Professional is sort of a bit heavier than its predecessor, at 722 grams in comparison with 503 grams.
The pancake lenses on the Quest Professional are additionally now 40% thinner than the lenses used on the Quest 2, and permit the wearer to bodily see the room they’re standing in always, making the Professional higher suited as a piece instrument within the workplace. Being skinny isn’t at all times a profit right here, because it additionally permits extra ambient gentle to sneak in, so Meta is together with a set of magnetic blinders that make the expertise really feel extra prefer it does on the Quest 2.
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The headset’s Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ processor affords 50% extra processing energy with higher thermal dissipation than the Quest 2, whereas the Quest Professional’s LCD show affords 37% extra pixels per inch and 75% extra distinction by way of using native dimming. For the primary time, the Meta Quest Professional encompasses a full coloration external-pointing RGB digicam to carry real-life and real-time imagery of the person’s atmosphere into the VR world they’re experiencing, which additionally facilitates mixed-reality experiences, like 3D avatars hanging out in your precise lounge.
The Quest Professional additionally options inward going through cameras monitoring a person’s eyes and face, which not solely makes it simpler to make sure the headset is correctly fitted, however facilitates foveated rendering, the place high quality particulars solely have to be drawn the place a person’s eyes are literally wanting. And since Meta is set to make its 3D avatars as plausible as doable (or at least, much less creepy), the face-tracking cameras can be utilized to translate IRL facial expressions to 3D characters.
The Quest Professional’s movement controllers have additionally gotten a serious redesign. With the Quest 2, their movement was tracked utilizing glowing LED rings, however the Professional’s controllers every characteristic a number of cameras able to monitoring their movement in 3D area all on their very own, similar to the headset does. This enables them to be smaller with out the plastic halo of their predecessors. Inner AA batteries have been changed with rechargeable batteries that, alongside the headset, may be all charged collectively on the identical time on a brand new dock accent.
The Meta Quest Professional is accessible for pre-order beginning in the present day in 22 nations for $1,499 and ships on October 25, however will solely be obtainable in a mannequin that ships with 256GB of onboard storage—you’ll be able to’t save a couple of dollars by choosing a mannequin with much less capability that requires you to juggle content material while you rapidly fill out. Video games and apps designed for the Meta Quest 2 are absolutely appropriate with the Quest Professional, however the Professional will finally characteristic some unique content material that received’t be backwards appropriate. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to order a set of the brand new Professional controllers to be used with the Quest 2, however at $300, it’s a hefty improve.
Meta additionally teased a brand new pair of AR glasses made in collaboration with Rayban throughout the Join presentation. Details are nonetheless pending.
This story is growing and shall be up to date as information unfolds.
