Project Cambria is about to be Meta’s subsequent finest VR headset that’s fuelled by metaverse ambitions, nevertheless it gained’t change the Oculus Quest 2. The firm says the blended actuality machine will cater to extra than simply gaming, even going so far as to say it might change your work PC or laptop computer. While this means the machine will likely be all work and no play, there’s purpose to imagine it’ll nonetheless be an amazing possibility for VR video games, even when the Oculus Quest 3 finally ends up being the corporate’s precise next-gen VR gaming gizmo.
We suspect that Project Cambria is the brand new title for the beforehand rumoured Oculus Quest Pro, however rumblings of an enhanced Oculus Quest 2 Pro are actually making the rounds. At the corporate’s debut Meta Connect convention in October 2021, CEO Mark Zuckerberg described its blended actuality machine as a “completely new advanced and high-end product.” The Facebook boss has since emphasised the distinction between Quest and the brand new metaverse goggles in a Facebook submit, claiming they intention to “seamlessly blend virtual reality with the physical world.”
Zuckerberg’s description is maybe extra fluffy than useful, however we’ve collated all the things we learn about Project Cambria in an effort to decipher the Meta headset’s potential value, release date, and specs.
Here’s all the things we all know in regards to the Meta Quest Pro:
Meta Quest Pro release date hypothesis
Project Cambria doesn’t have a strong release date, however Meta says it’s “laser-focused” on releasing the headset within the second half of 2022. Mark Zuckerberg says we are able to count on the headset to reach later this 12 months whereas stating that extra data will likely be out there within the “coming months”.
Of course, the continued pandemic and element shortages might affect Project Cambria’s arrival date, so it’s finest to not deal with any release date predictions as gospel. There’s additionally the truth that the machine appears to be a very completely different beast from its predecessors, and its present ‘project’ label caveats potential adjustments and delays.
Meta Quest Pro value hypothesis
Meta hasn’t revealed Project Cambria MSRP, however Zuckerberg locations it “at the higher end of the price spectrum.” This suggests the headset will price greater than the Meta Quest 2, which retails for $299 USD.
Meta Quest Pro specs
Just just like the Meta Quest 2, Project Cambria will likely be a wi-fi, standalone headset. Despite its standalone capabilities, you’ll doubtless be capable of plug it into your gaming PC for elevated constancy and efficiency, and you would possibly nonetheless be capable of lower the wire utilizing Meta Air Link.
Project Cambria additionally boasts eye-tracking, a function that gives customers with one other technique of enter. The tech permits builders to implement foveated rendering, an adaptive scaling approach that reserves excessive resolutions for the participant’s line of sight whereas cutting down all the things else. Not solely does this make all the things you’re seeing within the digital world tremendous sharp, nevertheless it ensures not one of the machine’s processing energy goes to waste.
Face monitoring is one other Project Cambria trick price speaking about, because the machine’s sensors can replicate facial expressions in real-time. Naturally, this might play a task in making the Metaverse a actuality, and provides one other layer of communication and expression inside digital areas.
Augmented actuality is one other a part of the Project Cambria expertise, because the headset will function an exterior digital camera feed that isn’t restricted to black and white. While the function’s implementation most likely gained’t stack up in opposition to the likes of Microsoft’s Hololens, a tool with clear shows, the Meta Quest Pro has an expanded subject of view on its aspect.
Meta Quest Pro controller leaks
We’ve not been given an official glimpse on the Meta Quest Pro’s controllers, however leaked screenshots from an alleged Facebook Workplace video convention have popped up on-line. Shared by YouTuber Basti564, the picture depicts two familiar-looking disc-shaped controllers which have infrared monitoring cameras built-in, reasonably than monitoring rings.
There’s no means of presently telling whether or not the controllers within the leaked screenshot are pretend, prototypes, or a closing revision. Nevertheless, hand monitoring would make for a extra dependable and correct expertise, an ambition that matches Project Cambria’s high-spec VR agenda.