Meta cancels Quest Pro, stops development of Quest Pro 2

Meta’s acquired rather a lot on its metaphorical plate, from the latest announcement of its newest VR/AR headset, the Meta Quest 3, to its social media platform launch to rival Twitter, Threads. The firm is reportedly slicing again on some of its tasks, together with its most high-end, mixed-reality headset, the Meta Quest Pro, by nixing the venture and discontinuing work on a Quest Pro 2. 

Reports from The Information declare that Goertek, the Quest Pro producer, will solely construct headsets so long as the out there materials provide permits. Meta instructed its suppliers as early as the start of the 12 months that it might not want any new elements for the Quest Pro. 

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The firm can be shutting down the development of a second-generation Quest Pro. With the upcoming launch of the Meta Quest 3, it seems Meta would possibly wish to concentrate on extra inexpensive headsets. 

The Meta Quest Pro had solely launched in October, after a lot anticipation from followers of the blended actuality neighborhood. Upon its launch, Meta marketed it as a VR/AR headset geared toward professionals greater than a gaming gadget. 

The Quest Pro rapidly attracted criticism for a design that left a lot to be desired, due to its heavy weight and awkward match alongside the brow, its low cost really feel, and an underwhelming software program platform. When the worth of the Quest Pro was introduced at $1,500, many have been outraged on the steep price — Meta ended up dropping the worth to $1,000. 

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Meta is making ready to launch the Quest 3 after nearly three years because the launch of its predecessor, the Quest 2. The Quest 3 will reportedly supply a superior XR expertise to the Quest Pro, as it should function a better decision, a depth sensor, and two 4MP cameras as an alternative of one. 

The new line of Meta AR glasses additionally will not function new high-end shows, as was initially meant. The similar report from The Information states Meta’s AR glasses, often called Artemis, will as an alternative function Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS), an older glass lens and show know-how. The largest downside with this tech is that it lacks brightness, a vital trait for AR glasses to show graphics onto objects in shiny environments.

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Meta’s Artemis AR glasses can even solely function a 50-degree area of view, in comparison with the 70-degree FOV initially deliberate. A  lidar sensor on the Artemis’ wi-fi puck, which accompanies the glasses to dump elements of the computing, was additionally eliminated to chop prices. It would’ve helped detect the gadget’s environment and incorporate them higher into the digital world.

Whether or not Meta will dive again into the skilled viewers stays to be seen. The firm will seemingly return to high-end VR/AR manufacturing if Apple’s Vision Pro does effectively and the market takes off. However, Meta’s software program platform nonetheless has a protracted technique to go to fulfill the high-end, blended actuality market the Quest Pro geared toward.