Facebook's parent company Meta is reportedly planning to release four new VR headsets by 2024 – including two new Meta Quest )formerly Oculus Quest) gaming headsets.
According to a report from The Information, Meta's internal roadmap has four VR headsets scheduled to release in the next three years. The two Meta Quest headsets will be for gaming, of course, while the latter two – including Project Cambria, which was revealed by CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week – will be for work purposes.
A high-end gaming headset, seemingly the successor to the Quest 2, is reportedly scheduled for release in 2023 while a budget model will release the following year.
Project Cambria, however, appears to be the furthest along in development and was actually supposed to be released last year but suffered delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. An updated version of Cambria, codenamed Project Funston, is expected to be released in 2024.
Cambria will be Meta's first work-focused VR headset, ehich has outward facing cameras allowing for full colour passthrough, essentially meaning users can see through the headset in real time, allowing for augmented reality as well as virtual.
Cambria will apparnetly have a high-resolution screen that allows it to be used for longer without experiencing fatigue, and while it's expected to be on the heavy side due to the larger battery pack, it's designed to be comfortable over long periods.
This complements Zuckerberg's comments last week, in which he said that the device can eventually replace an entire work setup. Employees have reportedly referred to Cambria as a "laptop for the face".
The headsets will be Meta's first foray into the metaverse, as Cambria will also include features to seemingly simulate the user's position within a virtual world. Zuckerberg said in the reveal last week: "We're also building in eye tracking and face tracking so that your avatar can make eye contact and facial expressions, which dramatically improves your sense of presence."
Though Cambria was revealed without mention of the gaming headsets, the recent Meta Quest Gaming Showcase made clear the company was still pursuing a more traditional gaming route.
Ghostbusters VR and Resident Evil 4 - The Mercenaries VR were both announced for the platform alongside new virtual reality games based on Among Us, The Walking Dead, and the NFL.
It's not all about the digital space though, as Meta's first retail store, set in the real world (specifically in Burlingame, California) will open next month.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
