Mark Zuckerberg hosted Meta Connect on October 11, 2022, which unveiled what Meta’s Reality Labs has been working on. A few special guests showed up where Meta’s new virtual reality capabilities were highlighted. Not only that, the new Meta Quest Pro was unveiled, which is a new high end VR headset.
Here is a breakdown of everything revealed at the event.
What is the Meta Quest Pro?
Meta Connect finally revealed that Project Cambria was the codename for the Meta Quest Pro. This high-end VR headset is built specifically to expand the possibilities of all virtual and mixed reality worlds.
Coming in at $1,499, this is one of the most expensive VR headsets to date. Granted, it comes packed with new hardware to justify this price point.
“Its pancake lenses fold light over several times, reducing the size of the headset while showing sharper visuals. A new, curved battery on the back helps make Meta Quest Pro a more balanced and ergonomic headset overall. High-resolution outward-facing cameras capture 4X as many pixels as Meta Quest 2…”
Meta
Additionally, the company has built in inward face-tracking technology to capture eye tracking & expressions, improving your online social presence.
For more details, the company posted a full article on the Meta blog.
Meta Quest Pro Accessories
The Meta Connect event also unveiled a number of new accessories for the Meta Quest Pro. This includes the following (Source: Meta’s blog post):
- Meta Quest Pro Compact Charging Dock ($79.99 USD, out October 25)
- Meta Quest Pro Full Light Blocker ($49.99 USD, out November 22)
- Meta Quest Pro VR Earphones ($49.99 USD, out October 25)
- Meta Quest Pro Carry Case from Incase ($119.95 USD, out October 25)
Work Partnerships from Meta Connect Event
The Meta Quest Pro was designed not just for virtual social interactions- it had productivity as the top priority. Anyone that uses VR in their day to day work will find this to be a major upgrade. Not only that, a new partnership with Microsoft will bring new tools to software such as Teams and Microsoft Mesh.
Meta Horizon Workrooms Revealed at Meta Connect
Horizon Workrooms is a virtual space for professional collaboration and productivity. With the launch of the Meta Quest Pro, a slew of new features will be available to make Workrooms an even more powerful tool for remote teams (Source: Meta’s Blog)
- More expressive avatars: By utilizing Meta Quest Pro’s inward-facing sensors that power eye tracking and Natural Facial Expressions features, we can now generate more authentic, lifelike avatars in real time. And because avatars can now show non-verbal cues like eye contact and facial expressions, meetings in Workrooms will give you a much greater sense of “being there” than traditional video calls.
- Breakout groups: We’ve introduced the ability for teams to shift from a big group presentation into smaller discussions in the same room for more active brainstorming. With spatial audio this means you can hear your breakout group clearly and the ambient discussions in the rest of the room, with less distraction.
- Sticky notes for whiteboard: Right now you can turn any free space in your physical environment into a virtual whiteboard. We’re introducing the ability to add sticky notes to the whiteboard for brainstorming and collaborating. And because it’s persistent, it will all still be there the next time anyone on your team logs in to that Workroom.
- Multiple screens in a new personal office: The solo Workrooms experience is also getting a major update. We’re shipping the ability to spawn three massive virtual screens on your desk, as well as four types of personal environments. These changes, combined with color passthrough, will turn your headset into a portable office.
- Zoom integration: We’re continuing to improve the Workrooms experience. Early in 2023, you’ll be able to join Workrooms via Zoom, enabling more options on how you choose to show up.
- 3D models: Next year we’ll launch an option to view 3D models in Workrooms, which we believe will be game-changing for designers, architects, and creatives.
Meta and Microsoft Partnership at Connect
Also revealed at Connect was Meta’s new partnership with Microsoft. With the launch of the new Quest Pro, Microsoft Teams will have more immersive options for collaboration. Not only that, but Windows 365 applications, like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, will be available on the Meta Quest Pro and Quest 2.
In addition, more Avatar customization options will be launched soon, allowing to truly create the new you in the Metaverse.
Meta and Accenture Partnership Announced at Meta Connect
Accenture has long been a pioneer of Metaverse technology, with its “Nth Floor” virtual campus. Over 150,000 have used the virtual campus. Accenture has restated and reaffirmed their dedication to the metaverse, and will continue to invest in building the future of work.
