Meta Quest Pro

The new Meta Quest Pro adds "mixed reality" and face-tracking capabilities. But even with the upgrade, what makes the metaverse better than the internet we ...

[Android](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/11/29/android-privacy-settings/?itid=lb_help-desk-making-tech-work-for-you_14) [Venmo](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/23/venmo-privacy-settings/?itid=lb_help-desk-making-tech-work-for-you_12) [Apple](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/11/26/ios-privacy-settings/?itid=lb_help-desk-making-tech-work-for-you_13) [Amazon](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/23/amazon-privacy-settings/?itid=lb_help-desk-making-tech-work-for-you_10) [Tech in Your Life](https://www.washingtonpost.com/personal-tech/tech-your-life/?itid=lb_help-desk-making-tech-work-for-you_2) [Tech at Work](https://www.washingtonpost.com/personal-tech/tech-work/?itid=lb_help-desk-making-tech-work-for-you_3) [ Quest 2 headset](https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/reviews/oculus-quest-2-review-vr/?itid=lk_inline_manual_15), which is still being sold for $399.99. I saw three virtual screens projected from a real laptop in front of me with a cutout to the real-world at the bottom so I could type on the actual computer keyboard. A third put a virtual DJ turntable in front of me for lessons from the avatar of a real DJ instructor. The Quest Pro is a complete redesign, with the battery resting on the back of the head so the weight is more evenly distributed. The previous Quest put weight and heat on your face because all the hardware is in the front, with a strap along the back and top. Meta says the Quest Pro is just the next step to achieve its full-fledged metaverse vision and is intended for first adopters, artists and businesses.

Over the past several months, Meta has been revealing glimpses of a new virtual reality headset and some of the technology that powers it, part of the ...

It is both a virtual reality and “mixed reality” headset. The result is a paradoxical computing platform, one that is technologically advanced and has the ability to catapult users into the virtual reality future, but still may not be the device to make VR totally mainstream. This is not a headset that’s accessible to most consumers, nor is VR in general far along enough to compel them to spend that much on a headset. Formerly known as Project Cambria, this new VR headset has a slimmer profile than the previous [Meta Quest 2](https://www.wired.com/story/meta-vr-headsets-price-hike/). [metaverse](https://www.wired.com/tag/metaverse/)—a computing future so important, Mark Zuckerberg said today, that he renamed the company after it. The new Meta Quest Pro also costs $1,499, which might come as the biggest surprise.

Takeaways · Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Meta Quest Pro, the first in a new line of advanced headsets built for collaboration, creativity and getting things done.

Meta Quest Pro is the first in a new line of advanced headsets built to expand the possibilities of virtual and mixed reality. We’re equally focused on creating and supporting software that improves the way you work. A new, curved battery on the back helps make Meta Quest Pro a more balanced and ergonomic headset overall. It’s also the first headset we’ve built that integrates inward-facing sensors to capture natural facial expressions and eye tracking. Imagine the possibilities when the physical and digital worlds can finally interact seamlessly, without you craning your neck to look down at a phone. We highlighted the incredible success of Meta Quest 2, discussed how virtual reality is becoming more social, and showcased innovations for fitness, gaming and work.

Meta Platforms unveiled its Quest Pro virtual and mixed reality headset on Tuesday, marking a milestone for Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg's break into the ...

For now, that means the Quest Pro stops short of enabling the complex commercial applications Meta has suggested it wants its metaverse technology to support. Zuckerberg has since poured billions of dollars into that vision. At a preview of Quest Pro days before its launch, Meta gave reporters a glimpse of the type of user it had in mind for its productivity pitch by showcasing apps like Tribe XR, a virtual training environment for DJs. The headset, introduced at Meta's annual Connect conference, will hit shelves on Oct. "There is a lot of skepticism in the market as to whether an interoperable and open metaverse is even possible, let alone likely," he said, noting that Microsoft and Meta compete on several products in the extended reality space. In a speech at the event, Zuckerberg, recorded partially in video and partially as an avatar, said he expects the blending of the physical and digital worlds to give rise to new uses for computing.

This expensive, new pro-level headset from Meta arrives Oct. 25, blending VR and AR with eye and face tracking. We got an early test-drive at Meta's ...

Brushes filled with paint in Painting VR felt like they were rippling underneath my fingers, and when I wrote down things on a whiteboard I could feel the scratchy friction of the writing surface far more clearly. After I finished my triceratops masterpiece, I hung it on one of the curtained walls of my demo space and walked up to it to admire the brushwork. The front lenses can be moved forward and back, and also adjusted to a wider range of eye distances ( [interpupillary distance](https://opto.ca/eye-health-library/interpupillary-distance-pd)) than the Quest 2. In a demo in Horizon Workrooms, I was able to smile and blink while talking to another avatar who had face-tracking turned on in their Quest Pro. The headset tightens in the back with a dial, similar to other AR/VR headsets, like the The Pro arrives two years after the Quest 2 was released, and a Quest 3 should still be on its way, perhaps in 2023. Because I'm able to see things in my peripheral vision, the passthrough color camera display in the headset almost feels like an extension of the rest of the world. [Meta Quest 2](/tech/gaming/facebook-oculus-quest-2-vr-review-one-of-my-favorite-game-consoles/) as an entry ticket to the [metaverse](/tech/computing/features/the-metaverse-isnt-a-destination-its-a-metaphor/), this may come as a shock. After positioning the original Quest as a self-contained, game-playing home VR console, Facebook's ambitions for the Quest Pro go a lot deeper. (The Quest 2 headset has some of [these abilities](/tech/computing/facebooks-oculus-quest-2-is-starting-to-experiment-with-blending-the-real-world-with-vr/) too, but with a much grainier black-and-white camera.) The new controllers are smaller, have better haptics and promise more reliable tracking -- they also have their own cameras now. Think of the Quest Pro as what might happen if the HoloLens 2 and Quest 2 got married, and this was their kid. While Meta dreams of carrying everyone into a billion-person metaverse that feels like the future of computing, existing VR headsets have limits on their usefulness, and they block out the outside world.

Meta's new Quest Pro VR headset brings big upgrades to quality and comfort but is it enough to justify the much higher price versus the still great Quest 2?

If you’re all-in for VR and the metaverse, the Quest Pro is an exciting new chapter and might be a step that allows you to spend more time in virtual reality with comfort. If you have a Quest 2 and wish you could spend more time in VR, the Quest Pro might be worth the extra cost. The Quest Pro has several features that are exclusive to Meta’s professional VR headset that help to set it apart from the Quest 2 and other low-cost headsets. If you want to use VR for several hours without a break, Meta says the Quest Pro is much more comfortable than the Quest 2 which has over a pound of weight resting on your face. The Quest Pro does everything the Quest 2 can and better. The Quest Pro is certainly more advanced but beyond the upgrade in display quality and comfort, most games will probably perform about the same on a Quest 2 since they were optimized for either the original Quest or Quest 2. Since the Quest 2 is two years old, it’s clear that the Quest Pro has a newer processor, with higher performance and improved graphics capabilities. For any VR headset, having a great visual experience is important and the Quest Pro has multiple advantages over the Quest 2. Both Meta and Quest game developers are due a hefty helping of respect for bringing AAA titles to the aging Quest 2. The Meta Quest Pro also has a more vibrant display with a 30% greater color gamut and local dimming that provides 75% greater contrast. Now let’s check out what’s new and improved on the Quest Pro and how it compares to the Quest 2. Before getting into the fine details, it’s immediately obvious that the newer, more expensive Quest Pro is a much better headset.

Senior Analyst, Mobility & VR, Anshel Sag, gives his analysis of the Meta Quest Pro premium headset.

I also believe that Meta is launching the Quest Pro in anticipation of what it expects Apple will launch and getting ahead of that to ensure that it has a foothold in the market before Apple launches its product that many of us expect to be similar in functionality. This is the onramp to AR applications that will likely take years of development to bear fruit, but I believe is a crucial component to the industry’s approach to AR enablement. The Quest Pro is an excellent showcase of what Meta can do today and a technological stake in the ground before Apple claims it invented mixed reality. I don’t think that Apple will position its Reality headset as a productivity device even though I believe it will likely cost as much as or more than the Quest Pro. I believe that Apple’s headset will, like many other products, be positioned towards the premium consumer and developers, like the Quest Pro, without attempting to sell it as a productivity device. [many issues](https://arborxr.com/blog/7-challenges-using-metas-oculus-quest-for-business/) that made it unfriendly towards businesses, especially considering the requirement to have a Facebook account and managing those accounts for each headset and user. Meta also integrated a curved battery cell in the back of the headset to counterweight the components in the front for less next strain for prolonged use. The original Oculus Quest for Business program has been around since 2017 and struggled with Meta has been teasing productivity with the Quest 2 with things like its partnership with Logitech on keyboards and specialized controllers for VR. Launching before Apple is the best way of countering whatever Apple comes to market with, and that product needs to be premium in appearance, specs, and capabilities to compete with Apple’s anticipated premium product. That means the company needs to have a headset in the market around the time that product launches. So, let’s dig deeper into the headset, the platform, and the vision behind the Meta Quest Pro.

PRNewswire/ -- Incase, a leading global design-driven carry and protection brand, today announced its Carry Case for the all-new Meta Quest Pro.

Vinci Brands is a global leader in consumer tech protection, carry and power solutions operating an innovative and diverse portfolio of owned and licensed brands at the intersection of design, functionality, sustainability, and lifestyle. "As the strategic launch partner of Meta, we're thrilled to announce the Incase Carry Case for Meta Quest Pro," said Brian Stech, CEO of Incase. Incase designs solutions to protect the ideas of today's creatives. Intentional pockets, including a dedicated controller cradle, line the interior to properly store and protect all of Meta Quest Pro in-box accessories. Designed to create a better experience through good design, the new carry case features thoughtful, premium protection for users to store and transfer their new VR device with confidence. Our brand, team, and products leverage technology and lifestyle to inspire global creativity.

The new Meta Quest Pro device will cost $1500 and contains some mixed-reality features intended to overlay digital imagery in the physical world.

Zuckerberg has touted that as an important feature in the creation of the metaverse, which refers to digital worlds that people can access via VR and AR headsets. "It's early days, but we're excited for what's to come." [Microsoft](/quotes/MSFT/) CEO [Satya Nadella](https://www.cnbc.com/satya-nadella/) also appeared during the online event and discussed a partnership with Meta intended to bring some of his company's work-collaboration apps to Quest VR devices.

If there were any doubts that Meta's virtual reality experimentation would prioritize workplace productivity over games, they vanished Tuesday, when the company ...

It felt like VR could finally achieve the kind of critical mass that would entice both new users and new developers to create for the platform. Whatever the motivation is, it does not appear to be games — at least not based on those showcased at Meta Connect, of which there were a mere handful. Game inventory on the whole has been thin for VR, providing few reasons for gamers to splurge on a headset. The first of which is: Who is this for? With more users, software publishers would have more incentive to develop games and other apps, which have been spare to date, knowing that there was a larger potential consumer base on the way. 11′s Meta Connect event, serves as a hard pivot from its consumer-friendly pricing of the Quest 2, the previous version of Meta’s VR set

Meta wants it to be a tool for work, but gamers could be the most likely buyers.

(A timeline shown to reporters included at least three generations of each product, though no dates were listed.) [Meta unveils high-end Quest Pro VR headset](https://www.axios.com/2022/10/11/meta-unveils-high-end-quest-pro-vr-headset) "It's going to be either people who want the highest-end VR device, so enthusiasts or prosumer-type folks, or people who are trying to get work done." (Games for that headset can run on the Pro as well.) - "Who are the ideal customers for this?" But even Meta executives don't always agree on who the target market is for the pricey new headset.

Unlike the Quest 2, the new headset is intended for work rather than gaming, with advanced hardware for tracking facial expressions and full-color video ...

Whereas the Quest 2 has all the hardware on the front, the Quest Pro is more well-balanced. The outward ones track your movements and pipe in color video overlays, and the internal ones track facial movements and expressions. Meta estimates the Quest Pro will only run for 1-2 hours per charge, and it will take two hours to recharge on the included stand or via a USB-C cable. The Quest Pro also comes with new rechargeable controllers. That’s going to make it hard to get much work done in the metaverse, but that’s what Meta sees as the use case here. [Meta teased its high-end Cambria headset](https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/328651-facebook-teases-new-high-end-project-cambria-vr-headset), the device has been fully unveiled as the Meta Quest Pro.