This week, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, uploaded a notable video on his Instagram, giving potential insight into the future of the firm’s XR vision.
In the video, Zuckerberg and Andrew Bosworth, Chief Technology Officer at Meta, compete to get the best touch typing score on a virtual keyboard.
Zuckerberg added:
Our Reality Labs research turns any flat surface into a virtual keyboard with touch typing. We had a race, and [Andrew Bosworth] clocked in at almost 120 words per minute. I was just around 100 wpm. Got some practicing to do.
Despite the fun nature of the social post and its use of a Quest 2 headset. The video could provide a core insight into Meta’s upcoming MR vision.
Meta, Apple, Spatial Computing, and XR Productivity
Spatial computing could be the next XR buzzword if Apple gets its way, and the XR market is already reacting to its marketing effort – separating Apple from the pre-existing immersive product space.
Meta’s recent video could show the firm’s dedication towards providing productivity-based immersive solutions as it prepares for the Quest 3 debut.
The firm is already deep in its enterprise-grade XR device journey, supplying “the future of work” with Meta Quest Pro devices.
However, recent news on the Quest Pro remains Quiet. On the other hand, Meta seems keen to debut its upcoming MR headset – the Quest 3 – alongside Apple Vision Pro.
The Vision Pro aims to replace laptop screens with its spatial computing vision, whereby headset operators can interact with applications using hand-tracking in a 360 environment where the hardware overlays AR content on a real-world location.
With integrated Apple workplace applications, Apple advertised its Vision Pro device as a productivity tool. While the device will support AR/VR/MR gaming and Metaverse content, Apple is keen to debut its MR device more closely to a laptop than a gaming console.
Meanwhile, Meta is debuting its Quest 3 device as a gaming headset – separate from its Pro product. But Zuckerberg’s recent post may suggest that Meta is seriously considering creating a productivity-boosting spatial environment to rival the Vision Pro in 2024.
Meta Connect 2023: What to Expect
Meta is set to host Connect, a two-day XR showcase event, this month, September 27 – 28, to discuss its emerging technologies, including the Quest portfolio, Ray-Ban Stories, Avatars, and Horizon Worlds.
Meta will also provide attendees with an in-depth look at upcoming Meta XR products, Horizon Worlds’ metaverse developments, emerging AI innovations, and hands-on opportunities for the company’s forthcoming immersive product portfolio. Day two will feature developer sessions and product sneak peeks – most likely showing off the upcoming Meta Quest 3 MR device.
According to current details, the Meta contains the following design features:
- A Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ chipset to provide users with “[twice] the graphics performance,” said Zuckerberg.
- The Quest 3 will also be compatible with all legacy titles, and the CEO noted that “more titles [are] coming.”
- Hand-tracking
- 128GB storage
- Roughly 2 hours of battery life
- Space for prescription glasses
- 100-degree FOV
More recently, a leaked video unboxing of a Meta Quest 3 emerged this month, providing insight into its design features. Interestingly, the leak parallels Connect 2022, where a video unboxing of a pre-release model Quest Pro appeared just months before the event.
