Meta launches Quest Pro VR headset at $1,500: Check features
After a year-long tease, Meta has finally unveiled the Quest Pro, its most advanced virtual reality headset at the Meta Connect 2022. We have seen glimpses of the headset over the past several months, but it has still managed to surprise us. The company has done a complete overhaul with the Quest Pro. A new design, a new processor, and even new controllers.
Why does this story matter?
Meta is the big dog in the VR market. The company controls an overwhelming share. It can thank the Quest 2 headset for that. One would imagine Quest Pro to continue that lineage. But Meta is not looking at its latest VR headset as just an object to sell. Instead, it is the tool that showcases the company's metaverse ambitions.
Quest Pro is thinner than the Quest 2
The Meta Quest Pro looks like high-end ski goggles. It has the same design as the Quest 2 but is lighter and slimmer. The slim profile is courtesy of thinner pancake lenses that reduce its depth by 40% compared to its predecessor and the relocated battery. The battery is now at the back. To fit on the head, it has a padded plastic ring.
The display panel design provides better contrast and more pixels-per-inch
The Quest Pro 2 has two LCD panels. The advanced VR technology provides 1800x1920 pixels per eye or 37% more pixel-per-inch than last-generation model. The panel design increases contrast by 75% and 10% more pixels per degree of sight. The 1.3x color gamut provides a more vibrant color for an immersive VR experience. The thinner lens of the headset will provide better peripheral vision.
Inward-facing cameras can track eyes and face of user
Quest Pro is Meta's next big step into the metaverse. Therefore, it's not short of new features. The first major upgrade is the inward-facing cameras that can track the eyes and face of the user. They make sure that the headset is fitted correctly and enable foveated rendering. Foveated rendering reduces the rendering workload by only rendering fine detail where the eyes are pointed.
Metaverse characters will mimic the facial expressions of users
The inward-facing cameras will provide a more immersive experience. They make your cartoonish metaverse avatar mimic your facial expressions. For instance, if you raise an eyebrow, the character will do the same.
The headset has outward-facing cameras for image passthrough
Another important feature is the outward-facing cameras that enable full-color image passthrough video. The passthrough technology is an in-between of VR and AR. With outward-facing cameras, the headset can capture images outside and render them inside the headset. This means users of the headset can look past the virtual equipment into the real world and the people around them.
The controllers have their own cameras to track motion
The Quest Pro also gets overhauled controllers. Unlike the Quest 2's controllers, they don't have LED rings around them. They don't rely on the headset anymore for positioning. Instead, they have their own cameras that can track motion. The controllers have in-built batteries instead of AA batteries. They are also smaller in size and can be used well in activities that require precision pinching.
The controllers have TruTouch haptic feedback
Each controller is fueled by a Snapdragon 662 mobile processor. They provide a 360-degree range of motion and have TruTouch haptic feedback. The controllers have a dock that will charge them.
The headset is powered by Snapdragon XR2 Plus
The Meta Quest Pro is powered by the latest Snapdragon XR2 Plus SoC. The company claims that the new processor gives the headset 50% more computing power than Quest 2. It has more RAM with 12GB of memory instead of 6GB. It is only available in a 256GB storage option. The cheaper 128GB variant in not available with Quest Pro.
Meta Quest Pro: Pricing and availability
The Meta Quest Pro is priced at $1,499 (around Rs. 1.23 lakh). The headset is already available for pre-booking in 22 countries. It will be up for grabs on October 25. Interested buyers can pre-order it from the Meta Store.
