Meta launches metaverse-ready VR headset Quest Pro at $1500: What's new

Meta partnered with Microsoft to bring work and productivity tools for Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 2 from next year, including apps for Microsoft Windows 365 and Microsoft Teams

Facebook parent company Meta on October 12 unveiled the Meta Quest Pro virtual reality headset. Priced at $1500, this high-end headset is available for pre-order on the Meta Store and select retail stores. It will be shipped to consumers from October 25.

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ processor, the Meta Quest Pro has 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. It has 10 high-resolution sensors, five inside the headset and five outside, for the users to experience a full-colour mixed reality and virtual world. It has pancake-shaped lenses that fold light over several times and results in reducing the size of the headset. There are two LCD displays, which use local dimming and quantum dot technology for richer and vivid colours.

Meta Quest Pro is designed with an open periphery, allowing users to use peripheral vision to multitask between the real and virtual worlds. Magnetic partial light blockers are included in the box, if the user wants an immersed experience. It has sensors to capture facial expressions and eye tracking. If the user raises an eyebrow, smiles or simply makes eye contact with someone, their avatar will do the same for a better virtual experience.

Coming to the controllers, the Meta Quest Touch Pro controllers have three built-in sensors in each controller to track users position in 3D space independent of the headset. It ensures stable tracking across supported VR apps. It comes with a TruTouch Haptics system and rechargeable batteries. It can be charged with the charging dock and 45W USB-C power adapter that comes with Meta Quest Pro.  

Besides the launch of Meta Quest Pro, Meta also announced a partnership with Microsoft to bring new work and productivity tools for Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 2 from next year, including apps for Microsoft Windows 365 and Microsoft Teams. It also includes the ability to join a Teams meeting via Meta Horizon Workrooms.

Meta revealed that it is developing Meta Horizon Worlds on the web to let users visit friends, who are hanging out in VR with the help of a phone or laptop. It will soon allow them to watch YouTube videos together in Meta Horizon Home. The company also announced that the next generation of Meta Avatars will be more expressive, detailed, and have full-body in VR. Whereas outside of VR, they are bringing avatars to video chat, starting in Messenger and WhatsApp, so that the user can react without turning their camera on.

Along with the announcements, the American technology giant also shared updates on future devices and the metaverse.