A Quest Update, a Quest Ending, a World Without Real Sex, and More Horror Stories
Meta evolves Quest software, discontinues Quest Pro, scales back advanced AR technology. Additionally, there were plenty of horror stories this week.
Quest 2 gets an update, Quest Pro ends
The Quest platform software continues to improve. Version 56 is now available and will be rolled out in stages. Highlights include improved hand tracking, live-streaming to Facebook, automatic updates, and the Swipe keyboard.
Almost simultaneously, reports surfaced that the Quest Pro is being discontinued. Production will be stopped after manufacturer Goertek runs out of components, and sales will only continue while supplies last. One of the reasons is poor sales, which is probably why you will still be able to get an all-new Quest Pro for quite some time.
The same report also suggested that work on the Quest Pro 2 has been stopped, and that the entire Pro line may be on hold. This prompted Meta CTO Bosworth to take to Instagram - neither denying nor confirming. If his goal was to provide little actual insight, he succeeded.
The Quest 3 might be a better VR/AR headset than the Quest Pro, except for the lack of eye and face tracking. At least, that's what the data suggest. However, we know from many VR headsets that official numbers can significantly differ from the real experience. Beyond the hardware, information about Meta's open-source AI model Llama 2 raises hopes for the integration of generative AI into the headset. Qualcomm plans to make this possible by 2024.
No more real sex and more horror stories
Sex between humans will soon be obsolete, according to one researcher. VR headsets, AI, and robots might do it better. If you need to distract yourself from this creepy thought, you'll find more than enough in our list of the 16 best VR horror games.
Another kind of horror, but a necessary one, is the remembrance of Nazi crimes. We must not forget what dictatorship and hatred have done. That's why it's important to educate and remember those who went through hell. A VR experience highlights the perspective of three girls from the Nazi era, each in a different country.
Augmented Reality with difficulties and a terrifying scenario
Continuing with horror, what if your AR headset could always accurately detect other people's emotions, even when they're trying to hide them? The intriguing sci-fi short Privacy Lost imagines a future where human emotions are made public by AR and AI. What could possibly go wrong?
We're still a long way from this dystopia, as the big tech giants still can't get their hands on AR headsets suitable for everyday use. Apple failed, which is why the Vision Pro is now a thing. And even Meta, which is also pumping billions into development, has to take a few steps back: better AR technology is currently too expensive.
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