Facebook, or should we say Meta, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced yesterday the eagerly anticipated release of Meta Quest Pro, a more developed and enhanced VR headset. Where the Meta Quest 2 (last year’s release) was a more consumer-grade product aimed at a mass market, the Meta Quest Pro sees a strategic shift towards more business oriented virtual reality products.
So, what were the main announcements from Meta Connect?
Meta Quest Pro
The most anticipated announcement from Meta Connect is the Meta Quest Pro headset. This is a much more enhanced headset with 2GB RAM, 256GB storage and 10 high res sensors, as well as 37% more pixels per inch (compared to the Meta Quest 2) and more improved colours and peripherals aimed at enhancing user experience. Perhaps this latest release is Meta’s way of flexing their investments into the metaverse and virtual realities, with a price tag of $1,499.99! Meta say this is the first high-end metaverse technology aimed at businesses, so it will be interesting to see how this is adopted.
Interestingly, Meta Connect also announced off the back of this the introduction of ‘Meta Quest for Business’, a business subscription service for 2023, to further inject some professionalism into the metaverse which is often perceived as largely for gaming and entertainment. Many agree that this announcement, as well as the strategic shift towards business spatials and virtual realities, cements a more optimistic future for the metaverse and innovative technologies.
Meta Partnerships
Recently, Meta partnered with Adobe, Microsoft and Zoom, amongst other companies, to enhance virtual reality experiences. NBCUniversal partnered with Meta to bring virtual reality entertainment experiences to further develop media within the metaverse. Perhaps more interestingly from a business viewpoint is their partnership with Microsoft. Whilst this also allows the introduction of Xbox services (by connecting an Xbox controller and experiencing the games library on the big screen, albeit virtually), it also encapsulates Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint, to allow a professional business platform within the metaverse.
Meta also acquired Armature Studios, who were responsible for the Resident Evil 4 VR game, voted the best VR/AR Game at The Game Awards in 2021. There were no direct plans in regard to this game, although it will be interesting to see any future plans with Armature Studios. The announcement of partnerships and further developments of the metaverse also saw a number of virtual reality games become available on the Meta Quest 2. Marvel’s Iron Man was previously exclusive to PSVR but is now available on the perhaps more accessible Meta Quest 2. The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, a specifically successful virtual reality game, will have Chapter 2: Retribution become available on Meta Quest 2 in December 2022.
One that is particularly interesting to us at Eon is the introduction of Population One: Sandbox. Sandbox games are typically less goal oriented with users having more freedom and more abilities to adapt their environments. Population One, a game enjoyed by us at Eon, is first person/battle royale hybrid game and is now being developed to include more user-created content, where people can create their own environments and settings or use those created within the community. This freedom is particularly interesting in a gaming context, and also shows opportunities for other metaverse enhancements where people can exist within a changeable virtual environment.
Avatar Developments
Horizon worlds, perhaps the most accessible metaverse platform, is an ever-expanding social universe to meet friends, play games and attend events. Meta Connect announced the developments of avatars within Horizon worlds, finally giving disembodied figures legs. This, although seemingly a small development, further enhances the reality of virtual realities, making them more accessible and more real. ‘Seriously, legs are hard!’ repudiated Zuckerberg, upon announcing legs for avatars. Developments to avatars within the metaverse breathes life into the future of virtual realities and brings them one step closer to being adopted on a larger scale.
What are the key things we took from Meta Connect?
Whilst Meta Connect was an eagerly anticipated event for tech folks around the globe, the announcement of the Meta Quest Pro is particularly interesting to us at Eon, as well as many other businesses who are seeking developments to the metaverse. The shift from entertainment to professionalism and workplace usability within the metaverse by Meta is a really poignant development in the future of innovative technologies. Hopefully we can get our hands on a Meta Quest Pro when they’re released on 25th October and can continue exploring virtual spatials.
If you want to read more about Meta Connect, you can do so here.
Alternatively, if you want to know more about the Metaverse and the current effects on businesses, why not join us at C4DI on 20/10/22 where Managing Director Matt Dass and Head of Eon James Cherry will be discussing What on Earth is the Metaverse?! Get your tickets here!
Get in touch if you’d like to speak to us about creating your own metaverse space or avatars, or if you simply want to see what we can do for you!
