Meta busts out big VR move, but will Quest Pro headset move the metaverse needle? - MarketWatch

The metaverse is the future, arsenic acold arsenic the institution formerly known arsenic Facebook is concerned. Last year, when the exertion elephantine morphed into Meta, it described the metaverse arsenic a “hybrid of today’s online societal experiences” that tin beryllium expanded into 3 dimensions oregon projected into the carnal world. At Meta Connect, Zuckerberg added immoderate much soma to the bones of the much-hyped metaverse.

“What if you could overlay your enactment and the radical you’re interacting with close connected apical of the carnal world?” Zuckerberg added. “This instrumentality would assistance you beryllium much present, much productive, much you.”

Enter the caller Quest Pro headset, which represents a large upgrade connected Meta’s existing Quest 2 offering, but with a terms tag to match.

See Now: Meta’s caller VR headset volition outgo $1,500 arsenic Zuckerberg sets up conflict with Apple

“While the Quest Pro has an awesome diagnostic set, we conflict to spot adoption astatine a $1,499 terms constituent and with constricted artillery beingness (est. 1-2 hours per charge),” wrote KeyBanc Capital Markets expert Justin Patterson, successful a enactment released connected Tuesday.

Patterson notes that the Quest Pro is simply a melodramatic redesign from the $399 Quest 2.

New features connected the instrumentality see thinner lenses, recently designed remotes, look tracking cameras, a charging dock, and the caller Qualcomm Inc. QCOM, -1.24% Snapdragon XR2 Plus chip, the expert explained. “Meta heavy featured the device’s usage for concern and its quality to much accurately show changes successful facial expression,” helium wrote. “The Meta Quest Pro is ample leap successful prime and show erstwhile compared to the archetypal Meta Quest line; however, fixed the elevated terms tag vs. the Quest 2 and rival products, we conflict to spot Quest Pro receiving meaningful adoption.”

The Quest Pro’s 1 to 2 hours of artillery beingness besides attracted attraction connected societal media, with 1 idiosyncratic connected Twitter describing it arsenic a “joke.”

The caller headset, which tin beryllium pre-ordered, starts shipping connected Oct. 25.

Speaking during the Meta Connect event, Zuckerberg acknowledged that we’re inactive aboriginal successful the displacement to moving successful the metaverse. But by launching a high-end carnal device, the institution is trying to crook the committedness of the virtual satellite into tangible reality.

See Now: Meta takes different subtle measurement toward a much-hyped metaverse

“The immense terms tag volition drawback each the headlines,” Paolo Pescatore, exertion expert astatine PP Foresight, told MarketWatch. “For sure, Meta is looking to cater a antithetic segment, businesses and verticals alternatively than consumers.”

Meta is besides facing contention successful the virtual world space. Tech elephantine Apple Inc. AAPL, +0.01% is targeting VR and is expected to denote its ain headset implicit the coming months, with the instrumentality apt disposable adjacent year.

That said, Meta announced an intriguing concern with Microsoft Corp. MSFT, -0.56% astatine Meta Connect that could perchance unfastened up the metaverse for workers. Microsoft volition bring caller enactment and productivity tools to the Quest Pro and Quest 2 adjacent year, including apps Windows 365 and Teams. Users volition besides person the quality to articulation a Teams gathering from wrong Meta Horizons workrooms.

But again, it’s inactive aboriginal days for Zuckerberg’s brave caller virtual world.

“Lots much needs to beryllium done for the metaverse to go genuinely mainstream,” said PP Foresight’s Pescatore.