Video games are nonetheless very related for Meta, so I think about we’ll see some updates on already introduced content material, like GTA San Andreas and Murderer’s Creed Nexus VR, plus I predict just a few new video games introduced on the day of the Join. I forecast there may also be one other new huge recreation teased in partnership with some huge studio (prefer it occurred two years in the past with GTA San Andreas).

Youngsters as one of many foremost goal markets

Meta understood that children are one in all its largest markets, so it will wager at all times extra on them. The lately leaked tutorial that explains security in VR to youngsters reveals how Meta has gone from “VR shouldn’t be performed by individuals under 13 years” to “Youngsters come heeeeere!”. Youngsters will likely be an necessary a part of the technique to promote loads of headsets through the vacation season, so I anticipate that some options and a few video games will likely be introduced particularly for them.

I additionally think about the CEO of Roblox showing on stage and saying the official launch of Roblox on Quest in time for the vacations. Meta gifted a Quest Professional to each participant of the Roblox annual occasion, and this reveals how Roblox is for Meta a basic companion in attracting youngsters on its platform.

I assume that in the long run there will likely be so many youngsters on Quest, that till now we complained after we discovered a screeching child in VRChat, however sooner or later, all of the screeching youngsters will complain that there are with them within the room some millennials that don’t scream in VR.

The loss of life of PCVR?

The Rift runtime is abandonware and Meta has already killed the customizable Rift House. Many video games now launch for PC VR simply on Steam, and even a vital hit like Amongst Us VR goes to desert the Rift platform in October. With the present standing, the PC software program, which can be numerous gigabytes huge, has no sense to exist anymore.

I forecast Meta will announce the loss of life of the PC Retailer which will likely be closed possibly on the finish of 2024. It’ll remodel the PC software program into only a light-weight runtime to:

• Make the Quest work with the Hyperlink on SteamVR
• Use previous content material purchased on the Rift Retailer
• Make builders debug the apps they’re making in Unity.

Some enterprise stuff

Meta will discuss enterprise and element the enterprise licensing of Quest 3. Some new partnerships will likely be introduced. In all probability some huge corporations will discuss some necessary case research the place they used hundreds of Quest and elevated their productiveness.

Ray-Ban Tales 2

That is one other simple prediction: eventually Meta Join, Exilor-Luxottica and Meta introduced they had been engaged on a brand new model of the Ray-Ban Tales, so it’s predictable they’re going to launch them this yr. The prediction is even confirmed by the truth that the FCC simply authorised a brand new model of the Ray-Ban Tales {hardware}.

The leaks discuss a mannequin with higher ergonomics, a extra highly effective battery, extra highly effective cameras, and higher audio. Nothing revolutionary, however nonetheless a step ahead. I believe the value will keep just like the earlier mannequin.

AR glasses

AR glasses are distant for all the most important tech corporations, so I don’t anticipate the launch of something on this sense. However since some leaks discuss a primary model of AR glasses {hardware} that Meta could have subsequent yr as an inner dev-kit, I anticipate Meta will speak extra concerning the work it’s doing in AR. We’ve got been left with some sparse components of the AR puzzle like Venture Aria, Venture Nazare, and combined actuality on Quest. I believe this yr they’ll give some extra detailed info, and hopefully unveil a codename for the primary devkit of subsequent yr.

Metaverse

Zuck will say the M-word and use it to indicate the imaginative and prescient of the corporate. He may also say that Roblox is a part of that imaginative and prescient. Nevertheless it received’t be the central stage prefer it was two years in the past.

AI

Meta traders simply need to hear about AI, so Zuck will give these bitches what they need. In all probability Zuck will tease some AI assistant for Quest, or some generative AI instruments that Meta is engaged on to routinely create worlds from a textual content immediate. I think about loads of smoke, mirrors, and “oh this may come later”, along with possibly some “copilot” characteristic that can come sooner.

Abrash and a few analysis stuff

Michael Abrash will present some work with augmented actuality, brain-computer interfaces, neural bracelets, spatial audio, and synthetic intelligence. He’ll present loads of cool stuff, and I might like to see all the things. That is the half the place I’ll really feel like residing sooner or later.

NOT John Carmack

John Carmack was the spotlight of the Meta Join for all of us techies. He was at all times brutally sincere, and this didn’t match a lot of the company communication of Meta, so this yr he has not been invited to talk. That’s an enormous pity.

Privateness

Meta representatives will repeat loads of time the phrase “privateness” and can say that they care about our information. They care a lot about our information that the Threads app was not obtainable within the EU at launch as a result of it was gathering a lot information that it violated GDPR. Rattling European Union, it doesn’t perceive that Zuck needs our information simply to take care of them!

One thing cringe

We want one thing to make memes, so… possibly another moments with a BBQ sauce bottle on the shelf can be cool…

And that’s it for my predictions! Let’s work together on social media tomorrow through the Join and let’s see what number of of them had been right!

(Header picture by Meta)

Associated