Meta Platforms, formerly Facebook, has launched the Quest Pro virtual and mixed reality headgear, a significant move into the higher-end market for extended reality computing products. The $1,500 headgear, unveiled at Meta’s annual Connect conference, lets users interact with digital creations superimposed over their surroundings in full color. The device was previously known as Project Cambria, announced by CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2021, signaling Meta’s intention to refocus on running the metaverse.
Meta’s Reality Labs, which created the metaverse, has invested billions of dollars in the idea, losing $10.2 billion in 2021 and $6 billion so far this year. Executives say the Quest Pro will be marketed first through consumer channels, with enterprise-level features like mobile device management and premium support services introduced later. The device is meant to supplement, not replace, the entry-level Quest 2, which costs $399.99, and does not yet support the sophisticated commercial applications that Meta’s metaverse technology aims to enable.
Meta is developing Magic Rooms, a mixed reality experience for Horizon Workrooms software that lets users see their avatars in actual conference rooms with other users. Zuckerberg also has plans to give the avatars legs, which are currently only visible from the waist up. The Quest Pro is less expensive than enterprise-oriented gadgets like Microsoft’s Hololens 2, which starts at $3,500 and is in use in operating rooms and on manufacturing floors.
The launch of Quest Pro is a significant move for Zuckerberg and Meta, who are betting on the potential of the metaverse as the future of computing. The device’s success will depend on its ability to attract consumers and developers to create content for the platform. Meta’s entry into the extended reality computing market will also compete with established players like Microsoft and Apple, who are developing their own mixed reality products.
