Mark Zuckerberg originally championed a Web 4.0 version attainable for everyone. The metaverse that you could participate in, involved a Quest 2 headset. Was it uncomfortable? Yes, especially after a few hours. But it was also only $400. On October 11th, Zuckerberg announces a headset that makes the latest Web 4.0 extensions seem exclusive to professionals and early adopters. Why? The latest headset is bigger and better, but also more than triple the original headsets’ price.
Unlock the power of the platform
Recent metaverse developments were focused on integrating fitness applications and social features. This led to hardware improvements in the handheld devices. Now that Meta’s developed games, social environments and fitness in the metaverse, they’re ready for the next step (Reality Labs, 2022).The next area of focus for Meta, will be bringing Web 4.0 to the workplace. For this, a new and improved virtual reality (VR) headset has been developed. On October 11th, Zuckerberg launched the Meta Quest Pro. Its price tag reads $1500, making the upgrades of the headset available to a certain type of customer: one who can afford the hefty price tag. Beyond early adopters of Meta’s technologies, Zuckerberg sets out to convince professionals in the field of architecture, engineering and design, that they need the Meta Quest Pro.
Meta Quest Pro
In Meta’s keynote talk, they announced that the next chapter of VR experience will revolve on the work environment. The Meta Quest Pro will make this achievable and is set to be released on October 25th. With this development, Meta rides the post Covid-19 wave where work is increasingly distributed and companies explore remote options. The headset includes upgraded features that heighten the feeling of presence in the VR workspace. The headset even has sensors to read the user’s facial expressions, which are then applied to their metaverse avatar. The Meta Quest Pro also comes with a unique partnership. Collaborating with metaverse rival Microsoft, features will include Microsoft Teams and Windows 365. Meta identified VRs potential in creative industries. Through VR applications like Gravity Sketch, shoes from Puma and New Balance can be designed. It is even applicable to laboratory work, as Nanome provides companies with VR possibilities of exploring molecules.
The Horizon
The advanced headset tests the boundaries in VR. Dubbed a headset for mixed reality, Meta aims to create a seamless transition from the physical world, to the digital world. The VR headset integrated augmented reality (AR), since the holographic graphics let you hang a picture frame on your wall to see if you like it, before actually putting it up (Kyletanchua, 2022). Personally, I find it fascinating how Mark Zuckerberg found a way to make Meta relevant again, after perpetual stock price drops.
The company identified trends in the market as a result of Covid-19 and it seems they aim to capitalize on them with their heavy emphasis on presence. I am doubtful about the implementation of Meta Quest Pro in the creative industries as a whole. It appears extremely ambitious, regarding the hefty price tag. I ask myself: How would it work in practice? If you have a team of ten designers, each would require the headset to be optimally included. On the other hand, you could argue that nobody expected the widespread adoption of computers when the ideas originally appeared. What do you think? Will mixed reality be our new normal in 25 years?
References
Bishop, T., 2022, Microsoft goes Meta: Here’s what Nadella and Zuckerberg announced for the new Quest Pro Available at: https://www.geekwire.com/2022/microsoft-goes-meta-heres-what-nadella-and-zuckerberg-announced-for-the-new-quest-pro/ (Accessed 13 October 2022).
kyletanchua, 2022, Meta Debuts Quest Pro Headset Featuring Mixed Reality Capabilities | Tech360.tv Available at: https://www.tech360.tv/meta-quest-pro-headset-mixed-reality (Accessed 13 October 2022).
Reality Labs, Keynote and Developer State of the Union | In the keynote, learn from Mark Zuckerberg, expert developers and creators and discover how a social metaverse is additive to physical experiences… | By Reality Labs | Facebook Available at: https://www.facebook.com/RealityLabs/videos/keynote-and-developer-state-of-the-union/1425118524564060/ (Accessed 13 October 2022).
Stern, J., 2022 Meta Quest Pro: A $1,500 Virtual-Reality Headset for Working in the Metaverse. Wall Street Journal. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/meta-quest-pro-a-1-500-virtual-reality-headset-for-working-in-the-metaverse-11665507778 (Accessed 13 October 2022).
