Facebook owner Meta unveils $1,500 VR headset: Will it sell? - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Facebook genitor Meta unveiled a high-end virtual world headset Tuesday with the anticipation that radical volition soon beryllium utilizing it to enactment and play successful the still-elusive spot called the “metaverse.”

The $1,500 Meta Quest Pro headset sports high-resolution sensors that fto radical spot mixed virtual and augmented world successful afloat color, arsenic good arsenic oculus tracking and alleged “natural facial expressions” that mimic the wearer’s facial movements truthful their avatars look earthy erstwhile interacting with different avatars successful virtual-reality environments.

Formerly known arsenic Facebook, Meta is successful the midst of a firm translation that it says volition instrumentality years to complete. It wants to germinate from a supplier of societal platforms to a ascendant powerfulness successful a nascent virtual-reality conception called the metaverse — benignant of similar the net brought to life, oregon astatine slightest rendered successful 3D.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg has described the metaverse arsenic an immersive virtual environment, a spot radical tin virtually “enter” alternatively than conscionable staring astatine it connected a screen. The institution is investing billions successful its metaverse plans that volition apt instrumentality years to wage off.

VR headsets are already fashionable with immoderate gamers, but Meta knows that won’t beryllium capable to marque the metaverse mainstream. As such, it’s mounting bureau — and location bureau — workers successful its sights.

“Meta is positioning the caller Meta Quest Pro headset arsenic an alternate to utilizing a laptop,” said to Rolf Illenberger, laminitis and managing manager of VRdirect, which builds VR environments for businesses. But helium added that for businesses, operating successful the virtual worlds of the metaverse is inactive “quite a stretch.”

Meta besides announced that its metaverse avatars volition soon person legs — an important item that’s been missing since the avatars made their debut past year.