New leaks from Oculus appear to show a first look at the rumored Oculus Pro VR headset, The Verge reports.
Videos and images from the servers of Facebook, which owns Oculus, first leaked to Reddit before being downloaded by The Verge. The videos show CG characters interacting with a new, darker VR headset and participating in activities like meetings, character customization, and games like Beat Saber.
Though the videos are CG, they show off what appears to be full body motion tracking, new Oculus Touch-style controllers (without the ring that goes around your hands), a charging dock, and the Horizon Workrooms app, where users will host meetings and use presentation tools like a 3D image of a building blueprint.
If Facebook confirms the existence of a pro version of its Oculus Quest headset (something executives have previously teased), it'll likely be at the upcoming Connect conference, where the social media company has previously revealed VR hardware. Facebook is also reportedly gearing up for a big company name change that will reflect its work building a "metaverse," a particularly ambiguous term that tech leaders have used to define a future where brands, users, and tech share a single centralized, interconnected platform. Facebook and Oculus VR hardware, plus the more detailed avatars and functionality, will likely play a role in Facebook's plans for the metaverse.
The only catch to the leak is that Facebook VP of Reality Labs, Andrew Bosworth, said in April that the company wouldn't have any Oculus Quest Pro news this year, The Verge reported. It's possible that Facebook's plans have changed in the subsequent months, though.
The Verge also reported that YouTuber Basti564 told them that references to an "Oculus Pro" can be found in recent Oculus Software. According to BAsti564, the leaked videos will play upon the headset's initial setup.
Meanwhile, Oculus Quest 2 just received a VR version of Resident Evil 4, which editor Taylor Lyles called "a fresh take" on one of the most ported games of all time.
Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/VR fan for IGN
