Meta's first mixed reality Quest Pro headset launched for $1,500
After a series of leaks, Meta officially announced the Quest Pro. It's the company's first full-color mixed-reality headset geared toward its Metaverse platform. The Meta Quest Pro will be available in the markets on October 25, but it won't arrive at a cheap price.
TL;DR
- Meta Quest Pro mixed reality headset unveiled for $1,500.
- The headset is powered by a Snapdragon XR2+ and comes with a pancake lens.
- Pre-orders for the Quest Pro are now open.
Meta's Quest Pro is not a successor to the Quest 2. The company says a Quest 3 headset is set to arrive in 2023. Instead, the Pro headset delivers an improved augmented and virtual reality experience offered in a complete premium package.
Features of Meta Quest Pro headset
The Quest Pro comes with QD-LCD display at 90Hz refresh and 1800x1920 pixel resolution per eye. It's higher compared to the 2nd generation Quest VR headset but it fell short of the Pico 4's specifcations. Meta added that the new MR headset uses a slimmed down pancake lens while delivering a wider field of view and continuous IPD lens adjustment between 55-75mm.
In addition to the full-color passthrough, the Quest Pro supports face and eye-tracking functions. That automatically translates into real-time reactions before layering your avatar. It uses a total of ten sensors including forward-facing cameras to record the ambient surroundings. Furthermore, the touch controllers with precision pinch also utilize three cameras and a Snapdragon 662 chip per side.
The mixed reality headset is powered by the latest Snapdragon XR2+ processor paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage. According to Meta, this provides 50% faster performance. Both Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6E connectivity are available.
Design and pricing of Meta Quest Pro
All these changes result in a bulky, new form. However, Meta managed to position the battery at the back which serves as a counterweight when the headset is worn. The Meta Quest Pro tips the scales at approximately 722 grams or is roughly 1.5x heavier than the Quest 2. Despite the size, the device only lasts 2 hours on a full single charge.
Meta is selling the Quest Pro kit for $1,500 which includes a set of touch controllers and a charging dock. Pre-orders are open today with shipping scheduled for October 25. The Quest Pro controllers are compatible with the Quest 2 and can be purchased separately for $300 a pop.
