The Project Cambria headset, which we now know will officially be called Meta Quest Pro, has finally been unveiled by Meta.
This new version of the smash-hit Oculus Quest 2 headset, which was unveiled at Meta Connect 2022, is expected to deliver a next-gen experience, although not necessarily in the way fans expected.
The Meta Quest Pro (mostly) beat out the Quest 2 with its 12GB of RAM, a new Qualcomm XR2+ processor that can deliver 50% more power than the Quest 2 chip, and new features such as eye tracking and face tracking. In addition, designers will be able to transform your emotions into VR now, so that they may now create avatars that are as expressive as you.
The headset will provide more immersive virtual and mixed reality experiences. While youre wearing the headset, its cameras and displays will be able to see the world around you in full color rather than the black and white that was all the Quest 2 could manage.
Unfortunately, the device battery life is quite disappointing. Meta said it will last somewhere between one and a half hours, and the Oculus Quest 2 will take between two and three hours, depending on whether or not it will last longer.
In a briefing ahead of the announcement, Meta stated that the Meta Quest Pro is optimized for 90Hz, but refused to provide a definitive explanation as to whether a 120Hz refresh rate will be available on the hardware. Higher refresh rates assist VR experience less motion sickness-inducing; however the Quest 2 is expected to have a 120HZ as its default setting in the near future, so it''ll be a shame if the upgraded Quest Pro does not follow suit.
The price of the Meta Quest Pro is not cheap as it is approximately four times the price of the Oculus Quest 2, and while you are getting some notable performance upgrades, you''re also getting the lowergrades mentioned above. Even if you factor in the need for a fairly decent PC, the price will be $999 / 919 / roughly AU$1,425.
The Meta Quest Pro isn''t a virtual reality headset, so here''s what we''ll call it.
Analysis: This is not a VR headset
The Meta Quest Pro is similar to your typical VR headset. It''s glued to your face, with a display that covers your eyes, and it can play many of the best VR games, depending on the Oculus Quest 2. However, Meta''s latest device is a mixed reality headset rather than a virtual reality one.
The Meta Quest Pro''s mixed reality experiences felt more real than anything we had experienced in pure VR. However, the Meta Quest Pro may not be the headset for you.
Because the headset doesn''t completely cover your eyes, it occupies a large space on the side and bottom, allowing you to see the world around you. In mixed reality this is fantastic, as it helps to better blur the line between real and virtual, for example, youll see your real arms and virtual hands perfectly line up, tricking you into believing the fakes are more real than they are.
In a more immersive VR experience Resident Evil 4 VR for example, the real world will noticeably encroach on the virtual one, which may make it difficult to feel like youre really exploring a creepy town in rural Spain. Depending on what Meta has told you, the whole cover will not come packaged with the Quest Pro headset.
The Meta Quest Pro seems to offer a superior experience, but it does offer better VR games than Oculus Quest 2. However, if you are not fussed about mixed reality and prefer to feel as deep in virtual life as you might be, Metas'' latest premium headset might not be for you.
The Pico 4 is the Oculus Quest 2 opponent that youve been waiting for.