The company's next virtual reality headset will be called the Metaquest Pro, and will be the first product to offer a mixed reality experience. The Metaquest Pro isn't going to be a replacement for the $400 Metaquest 2, but a more advanced alternative that's geared towards productivity and social applications in virtual reality. For a couple of reasons, the Meta Quest Pro is sleeker than the Meta Quest 2. The curved cell battery on the back of the user's head is integrated into the head strap and should give a more balanced feel when worn. The Pro is a tad heavier than its predecessor, at 722 grams. Being thin isn't always a benefit, as it also allows more ambient light to sneak in, so Meta is including a set of magnetic blinders. The headset has a 50% more processing power with better thermal dissipation than the Quest 2, while the display of the Quest Pro has a 37% more resolution and 75% more contrast. For the first time, the Meta Quest Pro features a full color external-pointing RGB camera to bring real-life and real-time imagery of the user's environment into the VR world they're experiencing.
The inward facing cameras on the Quest Pro allow for foveated rendering where fine details only need to be drawn where a user's eyes are actually looking. Because Meta is determined to make its 3D avatars as believable as possible, the face- tracking cameras can be used to translate real facial expressions into 3D characters.
The motion controllers of the Quest Pro have been updated. The Pro controllers have multiple cameras that can be used to track their motion in 3D space, just like the headset does. The plastic halo of their predecessors allowed them to be smaller. The headset and batteries can be charged at the same time on a dock accessory.
The Meta Quest Pro is available for pre-order starting today in 22 countries for $1,499 and ships on October 25, but you can't save a lot of money by opting for a model with less capacity. The games and apps designed for the Meta Quest 2 are compatible with the Quest Pro, but there are some exclusive content that won't be compatible with the older version. You can get a set of the new Pro controllers for $300, but it is a hefty upgrade.
Rayban and Meta collaborated on a new pair of augmented reality glasses. The details are still being worked on.
The story is developing and will be updated as new information becomes available.
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