Monday, 12 September, 2022 UTC
Summary
Meta set October 11 as the date for its Meta Connect conference just last week, but today we may have gotten an early look at the virtual reality tech it plans to unveil there.
A Facebook gaming page posted a hurried unboxing video of what they claim is the Meta Quest Pro. It's unclear how they acquired it, but it looks legit.
SEE ALSO:
The Meta Quest 2 is a pain to wear. Here's how I made mine comfortable.
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Here are a few takeaways from the video:
Updated controllers: Gone are the plastic rings housing infrared LEDs for tracking. Instead, it looks like each controller has now two cameras to enable tracking: one facing the user and one facing out and away, toward a light source. The textured thumb pad sensor on the control panel seems to be absent, replaced by a downward sloping plane that may be an ergonomic upgrade. A set of three lights (or sensors?) have been added above the grip button. Other than those changes, the design looks nearly identical to the Quest 2 controllers, and there doesn't seem to have been any adjustments made to make them less slippery in your hand.
The Meta Quest Pro controllers aren't a far cry from those of the Quest 2.
Credit: Mashable Composite / Zectarius Gaming
Chicer, sleeker goggles: The Meta Quest Pro facial interface likely uses Meta's holocake technology, which means it's significantly slimmer than the Quest 2. The Meta Quest Pro is expected to be used at work, and a slimmer, lighter design will make it much easier to wear for longer periods of time.
On the left, a side view of the device. On the right, a look at the holocake lens set up.
Credit: Mashable Composite / Zectarius Gaming
New charging set up: It's hard to see in the video, but it looks like a black charging dock is nestled in the box. Images on the box appear to show a charging dock and a cord.
On the left a screenshot of the box where the charging dock may be visible (circled in green). On the right, a series of product photos which may show the charging dock (circled in green).
Credit: Mashable Composite / Zectarius Gaming
No gaskets: A light-blocking gasket is necessary for total immersion, but it looks like the Meta Quest Pro won't come with one. We don't see one in this video, and we didn't see one last week in a photo Zuck dropped of himself wearing what looked like the Meta Quest Pro. That means you will almost certainly need to leave room in your budget to buy one from a third party.
On the left, a look at the gasket-less Meta Quest Pro from the front. On the right, a photo of Mark Zuckerberg in what looks like the Meta Quest Pro, which also does not have a light-blocking gasket.
Credit: Mashable Composite / Zectarius Gaming / Meta
All-in-all, the Meta Quest Pro looks like a promising upgrade in fit and comfort, but still lacks several features that would make it peerless. But what really matters is the tech on the inside, which we're all but certain to learn more about on October 11.