Meta Platforms on Wednesday introduced Meta VR Glasses, a $1,299 virtual-reality device designed to look and wear more like oversized sunglasses than a traditional headset, positioning it as a lighter and cheaper rival to Apple’s Vision Pro. According to Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman, the launch marks a major shift in how Meta builds VR hardware. The processor, cooling fan, battery, and other computing parts sit in an external pack that clips to a pocket or rests on a table. Earlier Quest headsets packed those components into the unit on the user’s face. Apple’s Vision Pro still places only the battery off-headset. The result is a device that weighs about 100 grams on the face — roughly one-sixth the weight of the Vision Pro and about one-fifth the weight of Meta’s Quest 3S. Gurman reported that the lighter form factor felt comfortable during an extended demonstration that included NBA highlights, a redesigned operating system, and work on a PC. The glasses go on sale in spring 2027. At $1,299 they cost about one-third as much as Apple’s current $3,699 Vision Pro, though more than twice the price of Meta’s $599 Quest 3. Battery life is listed at about three hours on a charge, slightly longer than the Vision Pro and up to twice that of the Quest 3. The puck can also stay plugged in during use. Displays are dual micro-OLED panels at roughly 2,412 by 2,288 pixels per eye and up to 120Hz, short of Vision Pro’s higher-resolution spec. In practice, Gurman wrote, text and graphics stayed sharp and the gap was not especially noticeable. The device uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Reality Elite chip in the external pack. Features overlap with both Vision Pro and existing Quest headsets: immersive video, office apps, use as an external monitor for a Mac or PC, web browsing, gaming, video calls, and a voice assistant. New additions include photorealistic hologram-style video calling that creates a virtual likeness of the wearer, and a projected virtual keyboard and trackpad on a table for typing that felt closer to an iPad than mid-air input. Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth told Bloomberg the company owes Apple “a little bit of a debt of gratitude” for sparking interest in immersive computing and for exploring split architectures. He also said Vision Pro “missed the mark” because it was hard to wear for long and “you looked goofy wearing it.” Meta said the new price point puts the headset line on a path toward profitability after years of selling Quest hardware at a loss and trying to recoup money through software and virtual goods. “We’re working to make VR a profitable ecosystem over the coming years,” the company said. Bosworth added that Reality Labs is “on the other side of the hill finally.” The announcement came at Meta Connect alongside other wearable updates, including camera-free Ray-Ban models and deeper integration of Meta’s Muse AI assistant. Whether a glasses-like form factor at $1,299 can broaden VR beyond enthusiasts will be tested when the product ships next spring. MacDailyNews Take: If Apple, now headed by a product person, thinks there’s a market here, they’ll have a product superior to this – that also protects users’ privacy – when and if it matters. Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon. The post Meta unveils lightweight $1,299 glasses-style VR headset aimed at Apple Vision Pro appeared first on MacDailyNews. You're currently a free subscriber to MacDailyNews. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment