At the Meta Connect 2022 conference in the early hours of this morning, Meta CEO officially announced the long-awaited new VR device Meta Quest Pro for VR fans. The new device is designed for business collaboration and creators. Compared with Quest 2, although there are many upgrades, the specifications are not as strong as earlier rumors. The new device, which will be available in 22 countries on October 25, is priced at a significantly steeper $1,499.99 (approximately HK$11,774) as announced a few months ago.
Meta Quest Pro is equipped with 10 AR/VR lenses and sensors (5 outwards and 5 inwards) as predicted, tracking the user’s eyes and expressions, which can be reflected on the virtual character in real time. A full-color transparency mode is also available. However, the resolution of the goggles did not catch up with the opponent, only the 1800×1920, 35 million pixel LCD display per eye, 4 times higher than the Quest 2 resolution. The color gamut is increased by 1.3 times, and the field of view is 106º horizontally and 96º vertically, which is an improvement over the Quest 2 but still far from other VR devices with more than 10,000 yuan. Only the two refresh rates of 72Hz and 90Hz are more disappointing.
The appearance of the Meta Quest Pro is just like the leaked video earlier, the eye mask is 40% thinner than the Quest 2 because of the use of Pancake lenses, and the battery is moved to the backrest position, so even if it weighs 722g, I believe it will not feel cumbersome. . The interpupillary distance adjustment of the lens has also been improved, and the range has been increased to 55-75mm, and the screen distance adjustment has been added. In addition, the eye mask is supported by the forehead, and there is no face pad attached at random. Only a pair of magnetic hoods are provided, which can block the left and right light. Although the comfort is greatly improved because it does not press the bridge of the nose, there will be light leakage. For full immersion, purchase a face pad worth US$50 (approximately HK$392).
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ processor, the Meta Quest Pro provides 50% more processing power, with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM for spatial audio effects. In terms of wireless connection, Wi-Fi 6E is supported, which can improve the fluency.
Touch Pro Controller Self-Tracking
The Meta Quest Pro uses the new Touch Pro controller, which eliminates the IR tracking ring and adds 3 Inside-Out tracking lenses to each handle, and a built-in Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor, enabling the controller’s 360º self-tracking capabilities. Comparable to external beacon tracking, it can achieve more accurate tracking even if the controller is placed behind the back or close to the eyecup.
The Touch Pro controller also provides precision pen tip accessories, which can be installed on the end of the controller to turn the controller into a virtual brush, which is convenient for writing or accurately depicting real-world drawings into the virtual world, which is useful for meetings and collaboration. The Touch Pro controller also provides TruTouch haptic feedback.
The new controller is backwards compatible with Meta Quest 2 and sold separately for $300 (~HK$2,355)
However, all functional improvements have to pay the price of electricity. Meta Quest Pro only has 1-2 hours of electricity, and it does not support fast charging. It takes 2 hours to fully charge. In addition, the battery life of the Touch Pro controller is similar, so the manufacturer randomly provides a charging base, which is convenient for users to charge the hood and the controller at one time. However, with such a short battery life, it will not be fun enough for games or work.
As for software, the Meta Quest Pro is backwards compatible with the Quest 2 software, which also provides finger tracking input and voice input. At the same time, it also provides multiple virtual screens that can be customized in size, allowing everyone to work in a virtual space or connect with friends. However, most of the new features will not be rolled out until 2023.
Meta Quest Pro will be available in the US, UK, Europe, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. But with limited spec upgrades but three times the price of the Quest 2, will VR fans wait until the Quest 3 to consider upgrading, or simply move to the new TikTok Pico 4?