We already know that Meta (formerly Facebook) plans to release its latest Meta Quest Pro VR headset later this year. Meanwhile, CEO Mark Zuckerberg is giving the world a rare glimpse of several handsome prototypes the company is testing.
The CEO took to Facebook and posted a short video showing four unique virtual reality headset prototypes, each with a specific function. None of them are ready for everyday use or a finished product, but they all solve a piece of the puzzle that the company hopes will be combined to deliver the best AR/VR experience in the distant future.
The goal, according to Zuckerberg, is to create something that could eventually pass the “Visual Turing Test” and make virtual reality nearly indistinguishable from the real world. That future is still a long way off, but the company is working on it.
As we journey towards the metaverse, we’re exploring how we can build a virtual reality display system where what you see in your headset is as vivid and detailed as the physical world. Mark Zuckerberg just shared the details here https://t.co/jinbBB4stF pic.twitter.com/toxEcYABT8
— Meta Newsroom (@MetaNewsroom) June 20, 2022
The first prototype is known as “Butterscotch”. His goal is to increase the pixel count in headsets to achieve what Meta calls “retinal resolution.” This prototype offers about 2.5 times the pixels of the current Meta Quest 2 headset on the market, but with half the field of view. If Meta can combine the two, it becomes amazingly sharp and clear.
In the video and Facebook post, we also looked at the headset called “Starbursts,” which supports HDR. This crazy prototype achieves a brightness of over 20,000 nits, about 20x brighter than most smartphones. The headset is huge, heavy, and just an example to help Meta push boundaries while working on the next big thing.
Mark Zuckerberg also unveiled another AR/VR headset that uses eye tracking to change focus on the fly, similar to real life. This allows users to focus on every detail in the virtual world, both near and far.
And finally the video ends with the 4th prototype which is very close to a final product. Meta calls this “Holocake 2” and it’s a working VR headset that’s reportedly powerful enough for PC VR gaming. Eventually Meta would like a headset similar to this to use holographic optics, but apparently we don’t have a laser capable of doing what the company wants.
From what we’re hearing, Meta plans to release two lines of VR headsets soon. One is a more affordable, consumer-friendly device, similar to the Quest 2. Then they’ll eventually offer a second headset with much of the company’s latest breakthrough technology for professional usage scenarios. Anyway, it’s nice to see what the company is cooking up for the Metaverse.
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