Meta Connect: On October 11, Meta will show its new VR and AR hardware
The ninth Connect is just around the corner. It will be the stage for Meta's new premium headset.
The Connect conference takes place every year in the fall. Meta announces new Metaverse products, offers presentations for developers, and provides a glimpse into the future of virtual reality and augmented reality.
The event was called Oculus Connect between 2014 and 2019, Facebook Connect in 2020, and Meta Connect since 2021. Today, Meta announced the start date for the ninth edition of the conference: October 11, 2022.
Conference program to follow soon
Meta Connect 2022 will be held in a digital format for the third year in a row. The keynote will be streamed on the Reality Labs Facebook page starting at 7 p.m. CEST. The developer presentations will follow later. Meta wants to release the program soon.
"Last year, we pulled back the curtain on our vision for the metaverse and the next era of social computing. This year, we’ll share updates on the progress we’ve made, plus a look at what’s to come in the near and far future," Meta writes.
We already know one item on the program: The former technical director of Oculus, John Carmack, will give one of his famous live lectures about VR. This year for the first time in virtual reality.
Clear the stage for Quest Pro
Mark Zuckerberg will present a premium headset at the conference, which will go on sale in October. Meta teased it at the last Meta Connect under the name Project Cambria (info). As expected, the device will be fully unveiled at this year's show - including price and product name. According to rumors, the device will be called Quest Pro and will cost around $1,500.
Coinciding with the announcement of Meta Connect 2022, Mark Zuckerberg posted a picture of himself with Project Cambria. The device is built open on the sides, but there is apparently a bracket for a side shield. | Image: Mark Zuckerberg
Project Cambria forms a new, high-end, high-priced product line alongside the budget device Meta Quest 2. The headset is probably aimed at professional users and companies. It is intended for productivity, work, and virtual meetings. Meta wants to open up new markets besides gaming and fitness.
New hardware features include pancake lenses that allow for a slimmer form factor and increased comfort, eye and face tracking for social presence, and a high-quality passthrough mode for enhanced and new mixed reality applications.
Meta competitor Bytedance is expected to unveil its new Pico 4 Pro VR headset before October, which could offer similar features to Quest Pro.
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