Facebook parent company Meta Platforms is gearing up to unveil a new high-end virtual and augmented reality headset, dubbed the Meta Quest Pro, later this year — reports Bloomberg.
Up until now, Meta’s new headset was known only as “Project Cambria.” The Quest Pro name was found referenced in the code for Meta’s Oculus VR headset app for iOS.
According to the publication’s sources, the new mixed reality offering will cost upwards of $1,000 USD. That is more than 3x as expensive as its predecessor, the Oculus Quest 2, and more than 2.5x the price of the original Oculus Quest from 2018.
To justify its cost, the Quest Pro will boast markedly better graphics processing and power. It will also feature high-resolution displays for VR, external high-resolution cameras to simulate AR in colour, new controllers, eye tracking, and more storage.
Meta is reportedly reining in spending on hardware due to the economic recession, but the Quest Pro remains a major priority for it. The company has historically led the AR/VR movement, but the Quest Pro will have to compete with a high-end mixed reality offering from Apple.
Apple is rumoured to launch its first AR/VR headset in early 2023.
The tech giant is expected to make a splash right off the bat, debuting a headset that looks like a pair of ski goggles and features a lightweight design, two 4K micro OLED displays, 15 camera modules, two main processors, eye tracking, hand gesture controls, and more. Apple’s mixed reality headset is also likely to command a similar, if not higher, sticker price.
According to Gurman, we might see Meta officially announce the Quest Pro and information on availability in October.
