'Quest Pro' Video Shows Meta's Next VR Headset a Month Before Its Launch (theverge.com) 29
Images and, later, a video of a "Meta Quest Pro" virtual reality (VR) headset surfaced online, posted on Facebook by Ramiro Cardenas, who claims the device was left in a hotel room. From a report: The device shown resembles the Project Cambria headset Meta has been publicly teasing since late last year and looks like the one spotted in leaked setup videos. The video shows Cardenas removing the device from its packaging, revealing a black headset and controller with what looks like an updated design. While the headset has three cameras on its front, the controllers feature a design that drops the hollowed-out loop design that houses the sensors for something more solid. The packaging has the "Meta Quest Pro" label stamped in the top-left corner and a graphic showing the VR headset and controllers. Cardenas also provided a closeup of the label stuck to the box, which says "Not for resale - engineering sample," and told The Verge that the person who stayed in the room has since claimed the headsets.
Looks nice visually (Score:2)
Still not buying anything thing like this from Meta
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But I really have to question the situation whereby a Meta employee "accidentally" leaves this large, and highly anticipated device in a hotel room.
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I probably will. They made the largely symbolic step of detaching authentication from FB. We'll have to see what comes with the next generation but the previous generation hardware from them matched or beat solid headsets sold for 5x the price. Behind the scenes they've been working on some really amazing stuff but I don't know how much of it we'll see coming right away.
Hopefully we'll at least see faster charging on the headset itself and built-in accessory charging ports would brilliant.
The biggest thing
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I'm not denying that the VR hardware they've previously released hasn't been impressive. But Meta as an overall company is not one I would want to support in this way. OTOH it's all moot as I don't have a compelling reason to buy a VR headset in the first place.
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I'm not denying that the VR hardware they've previously released hasn't been impressive. But Meta as an overall company is not one I would want to support in this way.
For at least a while it was thought the quest 2 was being sold effectively at cost or slightly below as a loss leader to try to gain market share.
So long as you didn't buy from their store (and you can sideload) buying one would probably be costing them money, rather than supporting.
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To put a finer point on that, recently they had a quarter with over three billion in expense, but only half a million in revenue, on the VR front.
Of course, the install base is enough to "support" them, even if it technically cost them a little money, they can claim a bigger user base.
While you *can* sideload content, the sideloaded content pretty much all is also developed *for* quest specifically.
You can use it for SteamVR, which is probably the least valuable way to use it to Meta, but Meta can still use
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The challenge is that for those that want a VR headset, there are currently really only two decent software ecosystems:
-Valve, for whom VR is mostly an accessory for x86 PC systems, mostly Windows
-Meta, that supports being a PC accessory (kind of) and also as a standalone device
Other hardware players may be able to deliver a compelling experience, but currently they are making headsets for PC only as there isn't really a good strategy for Valve with a standalone headset.
I don't think anyone is *happy* that
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The challenge is that for those that want a VR headset, there are currently really only two decent software ecosystems
And the Gorilla waiting to step into the room is the upcoming Apple VR/AR offerings. Whether you like them or not, whatever Apple produces will have the ability to significantly change the playing field.
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Apple has a much longer history of 'do all evil' and operates in a completely closed garden. So not necessarily good news for the VR world.
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Yes, but they're evil with style. They have a track record of taking pre-existing niche technology, and repackaging it into a generally less capable, but much more popular and approachable product, marketed with incredible showmanship.
Which helps immensely with public perception of a technology, as well as inspiring other companies to make their own "knock off" products to appeal to the broader market. Just look how the Mac transformed the Desktop PC interface away from keyboard and command line to GUI, a
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Grading on a curve with Meta, it's hard to say.
Valve certainly gets high marks in this sort of regard, and if a standalone VR solution emerges based around Valve, that might be quite compelling.
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"Grading on a curve with Meta, it's hard to say."
That is for sure. If the leaders emerge as Meta and Apple their competition will be a good thing but neither is particularly good for the world. You keep mentioning Valve but they've been the inferior choice since the Quest 2 arrived, if Meta releases another set with upgrades they'll be quite far behind.
HTC has come back with an answer for the Quest 2 so they are definitely worth remembering. Really the only thing their set is behind the curve on is refresh
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I certainly couldn't leave the htc vive lineup out of the list. It beats the leading options from both valve and meta in many areas.
https://www.vive.com/us/product/vive-focus3/specs/
https://vr-compare.com/compare?h1=0jLuwg808-j&h2=vEajWefj-&h3=pDTZ02PkT
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>I probably will. They made the largely symbolic step of detaching authentication from FB.
It's the "largely symbolic" part that worries me. I don't have a brand-hatred of Facebook - I hate the depth and depravity they bring to their data collection and exploitation practices. Rebranding themselves as Meta while spinning off Facebook into a wholly-owned subsidiary does nothing to address those concerns.
Strap on their VR rig so they can track your actions and gaze in real time, and they're in a position
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"Strap on their VR rig so they can track your actions and gaze in real time, and they're in a position to learn things about you that you didn't know about yourself."
Fair enough... especially when this goes to the rather obvious step of integrating some non-invasive BCI controls. I mean... they basically already have a rig strapped to your head and there are solutions out there already without wet electrodes.
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I know, really. Its like going on a business trip and leaving a highly sensative laptop in a room. It just doesn't happen. At least not with the frequency these tech companies "forget" things in public places.
Or leaving highly classified documents in a storage room at a country club with no controls on who can access them /s
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But I really have to question the situation whereby a Meta employee "accidentally" leaves this large, and highly anticipated device in a hotel room.
Why are you questioning a situation you made up yourself? No one said the device was left anywhere by accident.
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posted on Facebook by Ramiro Cardenas, who claims the device was left in a hotel room
That's from TFS
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I see two likely scenarios for a video like this:
1) It's an intentional "leak"
2) They left the device behind in their locked hotel room while doing something else like having lunch, and someone "accidentally" let themselves in to see it.
2.5) Like (2), but the video was taken by someone in housekeeping who stumbled on it while legitimately doing their job.
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Watch the video again and take a close look at the background. That doesn't seem to be a typical hotel room to me. It's more like someone's messy bedroom. However, it could be where housekeeping takes lost property.
And I wouldn't expect anyone in housekeeping to even know what they are looking at, or that the device is just around the corner from being released, or that a video released today would be create interest in the upcoming Meta event.
Re: Looks nice visually (Score:2)
If it looks expensive and it's a bit on the heavy side..snatchie snatchie!
(Ok most housekeepers are not crooks but still not something I would just leave out in the open in a hotel room.)
Re: Looks nice visually (Score:2)
Kind of like how a prototype Apple Watch was accidently left behind at a restaurant some time back. There have been quite a few 'accidents' of this nature in recent years.
Nice way to drum up hype but the effectiveness wears out after the 20th or so 'accident'.
Re: Looks nice visually (Score:2)
I wanna spoof (Score:1)
I want a VR game where our avatars look like the stoned Zuckerberg doll in the recent bungled preview. Crank up the fail, it's more fun. Make arms fall off. And clothes fall off to reveal there's nothing there, we all walk around nude without genitals and nipples. Riff raff can't grab pussies if there are none to grab. Maybe put mouse-traps down there.
"leak" - sure... (Score:2)
We all know the score, these types of "leaks" have been perfected by tech companies over the decades - Apple is fairly adept at doing this.
A few months before launch, start getting the media chattering by creating a fake "leak" - easy enough to do.
Cynical? Me? - sure I am.
Heck, it's an age old trick really - and it works every time, just like pricing products at $99.99 instead of $100.
Re: "leak" - sure... (Score:2)
Next up: Upside down billboards!" (It's been a while)
Hmmm... (Score:2)
At least it's not a bucket over the eyes, more like an ashtray. :}