5 Things We Learned at Meta Connect 2022
Meta launched the much anticipated Meta Quest Pro, a high-end VR headset, at its annual Meta Connect 2022. With this new headset, avatars will finally get legs. With closer-to-reality addition, avatars who were just torsos earlier will now look like real people. At last year’s Meta connect, Facebook announced that it would be known as […]
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Meta launched the much anticipated Meta Quest Pro, a high-end VR headset, at its annual Meta Connect 2022. With this new headset, avatars will finally get legs. With closer-to-reality addition, avatars who were just torsos earlier will now look like real people.
At last year’s Meta connect, Facebook announced that it would be known as Meta and focus on building a metaverse. This conference is considered important by software developers, creators, and tech enthusiasts worldwide who are eager to know about Meta’s latest efforts to build the future of connection within virtual and augmented reality. While launching an earlier headset, the Quest 2, Meta focused more on affordability and making the headset a consumer-grade product. But with this new headset, Meta expects great returns from its billion-dollar investment in Reality Labs. Here are the five things that you must know about Meta Connect 2022.
Quest Pro
CEO Mark Zuckerberg said about the Quest Pro launch, “There’s an opportunity for a VR headset designed from the ground up to be great for work, as well as playing games and hanging out.” CTO Andrew Bosworth went a step further and said that VR headsets might replace our desktops altogether and added, “We’ll believe it when we see it.” Meta revealed the numbers and said its Quest Store had made over $1.5 billion on sales of games and apps, but it is worth noting that the company has invested $2.8 billion into virtual reality.
Quest Pro are the first headsets that integrate inward-facing sensors to capture facial expressions like eye tracking. So when the user raises his eyebrow, smiles or makes eye contact with someone, his/her avatar will do the same. Meta said this would enhance social presence and give users a feeling that they are right there with someone no matter where they are in the world. The advanced headsets are built to expand the possibilities of virtual and mixed reality. It has pancake lenses that fold light several times, reducing the headset’s size while showing sharper visuals. Its curved battery on the back helps to make it a more balanced and ergonomic headset.
Research Lab Updates
Meta announced that with Reality Labs, the company is inventing a new computing platform built around people, connections and the relationships that matter. The company announced the future direction of its research.
- To create more intuitive, human-centred interfaces, work will be undertaken to use artificial intelligence and electromyography.
- Project Aria and Meta’s partnership with Carnegie Mellon University will help people with visual impairments better navigate their surroundings indoors.
- Two technologies will be built and manipulate 3D objects in the metaverse: neural radiance fields and inverse rendering.
- The scientists at the lab will develop photorealistic Codec Avatars, including more robust facial expressions and Instant Codec Avatars that are faster.
Bringing Workplace tools to VR with Microsoft
Microsoft is partnering with Meta to bring workplace tools to VR. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, joined Zuckerberg at Meta Connect to announce that Windows apps, a Teams integration and Xbox Cloud Gaming will come to Quest. With this partnership, users will also be able to use progressive web app versions of tools like Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook.
Accessories for Headset Users
Admitting that the use of headsets for fitness purposes was an unexpected use case, to make it more real for the fitness-conscious community using VR gear, Meta is launching a bundle of products like a wipeable facial interface so that users can be less sweaty while continuing their boxing sessions in their headset. Other than this, wrist straps and adjustable knuckle straps are some of the accessories for the Quest virtual reality headset users.
Partnering with NBCUniversal
Meta announced its partnership with NBCUniversal. Meta said that this partnership will enable fans of the TV series The Office to experience the world of Dunder Mifflin in the metaverse. This deal also includes content from production studios like Blumhouse, Dreamworks and more. The Peacock streaming app will also be coming to Quest headsets as part of the partnership. The company said to expect this content in the metaverse starting in 2023. “Fans will be able to engage in these experiences in Horizon Worlds, at Universal Studios theme parks, and customise their avatars,” said Vishal Shah, Vice President of the Metaverse.
