Tracey Truly / Digital Trends

While Meta’sQuest Proisone of the good VR headset available , it never reach its full potential as a laptop replacement forspatial computing . Meta has n’t given up on make a work - centric solution , and rumors suggest a Meta Quest Pro 2 is still in development . Here ’s what we know so far about Meta ’s reply to Apple ’s Vision Pro .

Meta Quest Pro 2 release date speculation

It ’s unmanageable to make a solid prediction on when Meta will plunge the Quest Pro 2 . Meta CTO Andrew “ Boz ” Bosworth made it clear in anInstagram AMAthat Meta is continuallyprototyping new VR headsetsto see out what ’s possible with current engineering . That gives Meta more flexibility than manufacturer that research for years before doing hardware testing .

If Meta is satisfied with the performance of the Snapdragon XR2 + Gen 2 and LG can deliver enough micro - OLED display , the Quest Pro 2 could arrive as ahead of time as this October at Meta Connect 2024 .

Boz also read Meta is work on operating system civilisation . Hardware is important but unless the Quest Pro 2 has substantial OS improvements , a desktop web web browser app , and more of the apps necessitate for productivity , it will still call for to connect to a computer to get workplace done .

From a side view, you can see how glasses can be worn along with a Quest Pro.

Tracey Truly / Digital Trends

We ’ve go steady some nice onward motion in the last few Quest update that signal surge in activity from Meta ’s Quest and Reality Labs development squad . Hopefully , that will be muse ina Quest Pro 2 that can truly replace a laptop computer .

If any of the hardware components or software advance are hold up , it seems more likely that the Quest Pro 2 will establish in 2025 . In the interim , we can still look onward to the possibility ofa Quest 3 Lite or Quest 3s arriving this pin .

Partnership with LG

In January , news broke thatMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited LG headquarters to discuss a partnershipwith this leading display manufacturing business . SinceMeta give up on gadgets like Portal , its tablet - similar video chat machine , this really only leave two options for the collaboration : VR headset or AR glasses .

The same report indicate the twist in interrogative is an XR headset that will use micro - OLED displays . The original Quest used organic light-emitting diode screens , but the display were comparatively low resolution and circumscribe to a 72Hz refresh rate . Starting with the Quest 2 , Meta go to LCD displays , which lour the cost of sharper , faster displays , improving VR gaming and unlocking the potency of using VR for oeuvre . It ’s authoritative to note that LG has already announce its plan to createits own mixed - reality headsetlater this class .

Recent advances make micro - OLED a compelling selection again . Apple chose this display type forthe radical - premium Vision Proand so didSony for its PlayStation VR2 .

In Zuckerberg ’s scathing , but insightful review of Apple ’s Vision Pro , he pointed out several defect , including gesture fuzz , while intromit the screen sharpness was really nice .

Meta could stick to the illustration set by these leading technical school companies , play Apple ’s challenge by raise the Quest Pro 2 with eminent - solving micro - OLED panel . If LG can create micro - OLED displays that are bright than the Vision Pro ’s to help reduce motion blur and display persistence .

High performance

Meta foretell a multiyear partnership with Qualcomm to assist bring forward its Snapdragon XR processors and meliorate the capabilities of the Quest political platform and Meta overbold deoxyephedrine . The consequence gave us the awesome Quest 3 and the incredible Ray - Ban Meta Smart Glasses . This is just the source .

Qualcomm has already announce a riotous variate of the chip used in the Quest 3 . The Snapdragon XR2 + Gen 2 can support four metre as many 4 kB screens with enough processor and GPU execution to address the special load without lag . This enhanced chip can get at up to 12 trailing cameras , enabling advanced eye- and hand - tracking .

We already knowSamsung , HTC , and Immersed have chosen this herculean Qualcomm chip for their upcoming XR headset . The only question is whether Meta will do the same or get early access to a yet - to - be - declare Snapdragon XR2 Gen 3 to give the Quest Pro 2 an advantage in fastness and efficiency .

Each new generation of cow chip engineering unlocks more excogitation selection for manufacturers to change over the balance to lighter and thinner technology or to push for higher performance and longer battery life .

The Quest 3 already has impressive focal ratio but ca n’t compete with the Vision Pro ’s background - class M2 micro chip . If Meta can check the Quest 3 ’s weight with significantly performance and image timbre while maintain the design advantages of the Quest Pro , it will be an challenging VR headset that could earn more respect than the first - multiplication twist .

AI in VR

As I mentioned in my late rundown of expectations for theMeta Quest 4 , AI could play a major role in Meta ’s future VR plans . This get deeper than the schoolbook and figure of speech magic of ChatGPT . A VR headset removes all the limitation of reality .

Meta AI already pressurise the Ray - Ban Smart Glasses , providing ikon recognition for recognition and translation , answer question about current events , and pop the question the benefit of productive chat in a slender and light pair of dark glasses .

As impressive as that is , ideate what ’s potential in an environment that ’s entirely hold in by the computer . Everything you see and hear in VR put across through the car . With AI - enhancement , anything is possible . Within understanding , your want could become your realism .

A few examples will facilitate illustrate what I mean . Meta has already demonstrated naturalistic VR avatars , as seen inShunsuke Saito poston X , that are more convincing than the Vision Pro ’s latest FaceTime Personas . What ’s been holding Meta ’s engineering back is a lack of carrying into action . That is commute chop-chop as chips get quicker and AI becomes advanced enough to make complex rendering well-fixed .

📢 Check out 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗰 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀!Our former codec avatars using 3D Gaussians generalize to refreshing firing ( OLAT , envmap ) with * all - frequency * reflexion ( see video recording for hair and eye reflection ) in literal - time!https://t.co / hmO0she2t6pic.twitter.com / xv0pQLIzjq

& mdash ; Shunsuke Saito ( @psyth91)December 7 , 2023

Something similar to Meta ’s Codec Avatars should arrive with the launching of the Quest Pro 2 , and that escort might not be too far forth .

What will stay the same

While Apple felt VR controllers were unneeded , opting for pinch gestures to control the Vision Pro , Meta does n’t see a conflict with supporting both hand - tracking and motion controller . The Quest Pro ’s controllers are already impressive .

The Quest Pro has one of the unspoilt pattern of any VR headset . The only real issue is the weight and the fixed curve of the forehead stamp pad . I ’m go for for a lighter Quest Pro 2 with a few options for the head launching pad .

The rouse bobtail is another great example of what Meta get right with the original Quest Pro . Boz says he ’s still a sports fan of the Quest Pro and shared some like thinking in anInstagram AMAabout why he still employ his Quest Pro as well as the Quest 3 .