Meta Platforms (META.O) unveiled its Quest Pro virtual and mixed reality headset on Tuesday, marking a milestone for Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg's break into the higher-end market for extended reality computing devices.
The Meta Quest Pro has a curved battery at the back for a more ergonomic fit, and it is using high-resolution outward-facing cameras to capture 4x as many pixels as the prior-generation Meta Quest 2. It is, however, using LCD displays, while Apple's headset is rumored to use micro OLED screens.
Think of the Quest Pro as what might happen if the HoloLens 2 and Quest 2 got married, and this was their kid. The Quest Pro is still a standalone VR headset, just like the Quest 2, but its capabilities extend to scanning the real world using cameras and depth sensors and overlaying that with virtual objects.
Meta and Zuckerberg have been teasing the Quest Pro for months, and many of the gadget’s details leaked ahead of Tuesday’s announcement at the company’s annual Connect conference. Still, Meta’s research in developing virtual and augmented reality headsets is key to plans for the so-called metaverse, an immersive version of the internet where Zuckerberg hopes people will eventually work and play.
For now Meta is promoting the Quest Pro as an important tool for working remotely, and is teaming up with Microsoft Corp. to offer Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 office-productivity software on the new devices. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella appeared on video alongside Zuckerberg Tuesday announcing the partnership and promoting the new headset, saying, “we are going through a once-in-a-lifetime change in how we work.”
Rather than targeting gamers, the Quest Pro is being billed as a tool to increase productivity among creatives, freelancers and in the office. In his announcement, Mark Zuckerberg described the Quest Pro as “a high-end device designed for work and for people who want the best experience we can have in virtual reality today.”
Priced at $1,499 USD Meta’s Quest Pro will be available for purchase beginning on October 25.
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