Meta demonstrates VR headset prototypes with major improvements over the Oculus Quest 2
Mark Zuckerberg has demonstrated several prototype VR headsets, just under two months after Ming-Chi Kuo shared details about a potential Quest 2 Pro. Incidentally, one of the headsets looks like Project Cambria, the first rumblings of which emerged last year.
As Zuckerberg explains in the video below, Meta has developed prototypes to tackle specific challenges with existing VR headsets. If all goes well, Meta will roll all its learnings into a single consumer-focussed VR headset. Firstly, Meta has 'Butterscotch', a codename for a headset that attempts to achieve 'retinal resolution', equivalent to 60 pixels per degree. Currently, the Quest 2 offers 2.5x fewer pixels per degree than this level. In other words, Butterscotch provides 20/20 vision, up from 20/60 with the Quest 2.
Additionally, Zuckerberg highlighted Half Dome, a prototype that aims to improve depth perception with eye-tracking and varifocal optics. Moreover, Meta claims to have created the first VR headset that supports HDR. Codenamed 'Starburst', the prototype can reach 20,000 nits, considerably brighter than contemporary smartphones, laptops and external monitors.
Finally, there is Holocake 2, a working unit that Zuckerberg states is already capable of playing PC VR games. Unfortunately, Zuckerberg has not provided any details on this PC connectivity. Presumably, Holocake 2 utilises a form of Oculus Air Link, or even a VR Air Bridge. As it stands, it is unknown when Meta will release a follow-up to the Quest 2; Project Cambria is not expected to be a gaming-orientated device.
Source(s)
Mark Zuckerberg via GSMArena & UploadVR
