Meta Quest Pro Engineering Samples Were Found Inside A Hotel Room

Games Meta Quest Pro Engineering Samples Were Found Inside A Hotel Room Mitch Wallace Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I write about gaming hardware, software and news. Following New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories.

Got it! Sep 12, 2022, 02:07am EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Horizon Worlds Credit: Meta Yes, you read that correctly. A pair of Meta’s upcoming Quest Pro virtual reality units—specifically early engineering samples—were unexpectedly found in a hotel room, of all places, according to The Verge . I don’t even want to speculate on the legal or employment ramifications attached to an unreleased product slip-up like this, but the hardware shown in images and video taken by an alleged hotel employee does appear to be the real deal.

The standalone mixed reality headset appears much more streamlined than its predecessor, the Meta Quest 2, and more bears a resemblance to futuristic glasses than any bulky VR devices we’ve seen in the past. The wireless controllers look changed as well, sporting an updated form factor that omits previous generations’ plastic sensor rings. Even supposed retail packaging is visible in the leak, showing that the social media giant is likely moving forward with the official Meta Quest Pro name.

Per the article, the wayward devices have already been returned to their rightful owner, who I’m sure is regretting the lack of a final room scan before hotel checkout. Unless it was done on purpose, which would be even stranger. Last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on the Joe Rogan Podcast that the new hardware would be debuting sometime in October, likely coinciding with the Meta Connect event on October 11 .

In the interview, Zuckerberg mentioned that the technology inside the headset was largely designed with eye contact and facial tracking in mind, promising more of a human connection between users than traditional Skype, Zoom or Facetime calls. MORE FOR YOU ‘Demon Slayer’ Season 2 Finally Has An Actual 2021 Release Date Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Not A Sure Thing, Says Director ‘Genshin Impact’ Still Refuses To Increase Anniversary Rewards, Despite Fan Outcry I’m sure this is all being done in regard to the often-mocked Horizon Worlds , among other potential applications. Zuckerberg continues to receive flack for whatever it is he’s trying to do with Facebook and the talked about but never quite understood metaverse , and at least anecdotally, a large and willing audience for this stuff doesn’t seem to exist.

Not yet, anyway. All I can say is that, for an estimated $1,500 , the Meta Quest Pro better be impressive when it launches. All signs do point to this being a premium VR experience, especially when compared to the current Meta Quest 2, which has a paltry (by comparison) starting price of $400.

This won’t be a headset for the masses, but rather people who want to be on the cutting edge of virtual reality. The real question with new VR hardware remains: Will anyone care? From what I’ve experienced lately, the medium continues to be immersive, interesting and even downright impressive at times, but the must-play games just aren’t there. Until some of the AAA heavyweights start taking VR seriously, it will continue to be relegated to an enthusiastic yet very niche corner of the market.

Maybe Zuckerberg’s vision for a hyper-connected, virtual reality future will eventually come to fruition, and the naysayers will have to eat crow. That said, I’ll be the first to give Meta Quest Pro a proper shot in October, if that’s indeed when it comes out. Still, even if the metaverse future does exist someday, it feels like it won’t be here for a long, long time.

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