Meta Quest Professional; Meta’s Mission Cambria Lastly Launched!

Before looking at the Meta Quest Pro, you need to learn about the company which created it. On the surface, the pedigree of the device seems self-evident. After all, isn’t the Meta Quest Pro made by Meta? And Meta did indeed create the VR headset. But there’s far more to the story.

The origin of the Quest Pro begins with a company called Oculus. The main product Oculus worked on was a VR headset called the Oculus Rift. Keep in mind that VR was still a relatively obscure subject at this point. It was still in the earliest days of home VR gear.

But Oculus was sure that the Oculus Rift could bring VR into the average person’s home. And Facebook agreed, to the point where the company acquired Oculus in 2014. And when Facebook rebranded as Meta, the Oculus hardware followed as its VR line.

The release of the Meta Quest Pro is awe-inspiring when looking back at the first Oculus released in 2016. Home VR was an untested idea. But the Rift proved it could be done. And Facebook followed up on the idea by taking things in an even more experimental direction for the Oculus Quest.

The Quest used an Android-based system to provide PC-free operations. But Facebook would build on this concept by enabling a practical wireless PC “air link”. Facebook’s progress included a new Oculus Go and Quest. The Quest 2 can handle both native and PC apps.

By 2021 the Oculus line had successfully proven the validity of home VR. People were understandably intrigued when news came out that there would be an important announcement at the Facebook Connect event in October. A new system called Project Cambria was announced that would take the current VR gear to the next level.

The announcement clarified that Project Cambria would come with a higher price point. But this was due to the equally impressive specs. This included pancake optics, color passthrough, and more. Project Cambria essentially offered a new and more advanced take on virtual reality.

Even the system’s controls leveraged advanced techniques, like EMG input, to allow for gesture-based commands. Of course, Project Cambria was only a development title. It would eventually receive the official title of Meta Quest Pro. It would also be the first entry into a new line of high-end releases.

Video: Introducing Meta Quest Pro

At this point, you’ve seen the technological progression which led up to the Meta Quest Pro. But what exactly sets this high-end device apart from the competition? While there are many elements to look at, you can see how it compares by looking at the following features.

The Meta Quest Pro features a new pancake optic system that folds light. This reduces module depth by 40% while still offering sharp visuals. Its outward cameras are four times as effective as the Meta Quest 2’s. The two mini-LED displays run at 1800×1920 resolution. This is a 37% jump in pixels per inch and 10% pixel per degree to the Quest 2. The Pro’s refresh rate does dip slightly compared to the Quest 2. The pro has a maximum refresh rate of 90Hz, while the Quest 2 can reach up to 120 Hz for specially designed titles.

The Meta Quest Pro gives users additional freedom to multitask through an open periphery. This means you can use your peripheral vision to keep track of the virtual and physical worlds simultaneously. Or you can use the system’s magnetic blockers to immerse yourself in the digital world fully. The immersion is further enhanced through independent 3D controller tracking that enables constant interaction with the environment. The new system provides full 360-degree motion thanks to three sensors built into each one of the controllers. And amazingly enough, they’re backward compatible with the Meta Quest 2.

The Meta Quest Pro is still very new to the larger market. But that shouldn’t be taken to mean it’s light on apps. As previously noted, there are a number of assets that developers can use to create applications for the device. Not to mention the fact that the Pro can use a wealth of existing Quest 2 software. The following apps are among the best and most interesting options available for the Pro.

Use your Meta Quest Pro to explore anywhere on earth with Wooorld. It lets you instantly jump into many cities, exotic locations, and tourist attractions. And you can even join up with friends in VR to enjoy exploring the locations together. And everything’s in beautifully rendered 3D.

Video: Wooorld Launch Trailer

Painting VR lets you enter a virtual art studio with painting materials just by donning your Meta Quest Pro. The app fully leverages the Pro’s enhanced capabilities by melding physical and digital elements. For example, you could paint on a virtual surface that is sitting on your physical table.

Video: PAINTING VR

The Meta Quest Pro is already proving itself an ideal environment for your artistic expression. Figmin XR is another art-focused app for the VR platform. You can draw and sketch within it to create 3D art. But the design elements even allow for the creation of physics-based games or edutainment.

Video: Figmin XR is coming to Quest Pro & Quest 2!

Have you ever thought about becoming a DJ? This app lets you actually learn those mixing and musical skills by putting on your Meta Quest Pro. You can get lessons from DJs and use virtual nightclub-standard equipment. It even features a CDJ-3000 deck and DJM-900 NXS2 mixer for full authenticity.

Video: Tribe XR – DJ in VR 

October 25th marks, people finally have the chance to buy a Meta Quest Pro. The price tag is a significant increase over that of the Quest 2. But at the same time, keep in mind that it includes the controllers, stylus tips, partial light blinders, and a charging dock.

The Meta Quest Pro is obviously quite impressive. But at the same time, it’s far from the only metaverse-related gear on the market. Many of the biggest names in the tech world are working on metaverse hardware. And each company typically brings something unique to its own devices.