It never ceases to amaze when developers or staff leave important prototypes of unreleased products at locations for all to see. In this most recent case, according to Facebook user and live streamer Ramiro Cardenas, is a production sample of Meta’s upcoming Quest Pro virtual reality (VR) headset, which is slated to launch next month.
Cardenas claims that the device was left in a hotel room, though it is unclear on how it came to his possession. Nevertheless, such incidents harken back to the legendary tale of when an Apple staff “conveniently” left a working iPhone 4 sample at a cafe allegedly frequented by tech journalists back in 2010, or the more recent Google Pixel Watch prototype that was found unattended at a restaurant.
How anyone could forget an entire box containing an unannounced VR headset is beyond us, but we wouldn’t be surprised if such a move is actually intentional to begin with. As they say, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
As for the device itself, images and a video provided by Cardenas revealed that the alleged Meta Quest Pro as well as its included controllers feature an updated design. The headset’s updated look corroborates with previous leaks; where it is suggested to sport a curved visor with three cameras, padded forehead rest, and a solid strap that’s akin to the Quest 2’s Elite Strap accessory. Meanwhile, the controllers no longer feature the hollowed-out loop design of its predecessors.
Unfortunately, no other information regarding the Quest Pro has been provided. Therefore, details such as its software, unique features, and battery life is still a mystery for now. As far as we know, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the newer headset will feature eye and facial tracking, as well as sophisticated passthrough augmented reality (AR) capabilities. Past rumours have suggested that the Quest Pro (aka Project Cambria) is designed with both VR and AR in mind, which is in line with the company’s vision of the metaverse.
Meta is set to fully unveil its new VR headset next month during its annual Connect event on 11 October 2022. Naturally, we’ll only learn more about the so-called Quest Pro by then, especially regarding its specifications, features, and pricing.
(Source: Ramiro Cardenas [Facebook] / Reddit / The Verge)
