Mark Zuckerberg drops a MAJOR hint that Meta will unveil a new device TODAY – here’s what we expect to see
- Mark Zuckerberg may be teasing the reveal of Meta’s Quest 3 VR headset today
- The tech giant confirmed in an interview last year that this was in development
- ‘Leaked’ drawings suggest that Quest 3 will focus heavily on the use of mixed reality
Mark Zuckerberg has dropped a major hint that Meta will unveil a new device later today.
In a cryptic post to his Instagram Stories, Zuckerberg posted a photo of himself looking down somewhere, obscured by a countdown to 3pm BST (7am PDT).
“Sharing what we’ve been working on,” the post read, as Zuckerberg posed against what appears to be the view of a virtual reality (VR) headset.
This teaser might suggest that Quest 3 is upon us, which Zuckerberg confirmed was being developed in an interview with The information last year.
He told the publication: “We have established product teams that are now working on the next few generations of virtual reality and what Quest 3 and 4 will look like.
Mark Zuckerberg may be teasing the reveal of Meta’s Quest 3 virtual reality headset today
“One of the things I’m really excited about for future versions is adding eye tracking and face tracking, because if you’re really excited about social presence, you want to make sure the device has all the sensors to be really realistic. to animate. avatars so you can communicate well.’
Last year, YouTuber Brad Lynch (@SadlyItsBradley) leaked what he claimed were drafts of the upcoming Quest headset.
He suggested that the Quest 3 would have some similarities to previous Quest models, due to its soft headband and lens style.
But it is believed that newer technology would include more advanced mixed reality features as well.
This would allow for a more seamless merging of the virtual and physical worlds with a wide range of practical applications.
Employers could use this to simulate high-risk scenarios in staff training, while teachers could use it for immersive learning experiences.
Mr Lynch took advantage of the headset’s four camera array to suggest this, which is located on the front of the model next to a depth sensor.
But the YouTuber was surprised by the headset’s lack of eye-tracking technology, despite Zuckerberg’s 2022 visions.
In his video reveal, Mr Lynch said: “I think right now it’s probably more important to speed up mixed reality development than just implementing iron face tracking into actual consumer devices.
Leaked drawings suggest the Quest 3 headset will focus heavily on mixed reality use
The YouTuber was surprised by the headset’s lack of eye-tracking technology, despite Zuckerberg’s 2022 visions
So a big focus on AR and VR here, not a big focus on social experiences that will probably be pushed to the more expensive devices.
“As these things get cheaper, newer chips can add more camera bandwidth. But for now, big surprise, there is no IR face tracking built into Quest 3 of the current prototype images.”
A prototype was then later tested by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg who claimed it was “much lighter and thinner” than the previous Quest 2 model.
Again, Mr Gurman pointed to the more “lifelike” mixed reality features as a key feature, using color cameras that more accurately represent the real world.
“Overall, I was impressed with the Quest 3’s mixed reality focus, vastly improved video pass-through capabilities, faster performance, and large content library,” he said.
While the price of Quest 3 has not yet been set, Zuckerberg hinted that it would be in the range of $300 to $500, according to strategy.
This would give Quest 3 a competitive edge over the expected Apple headset, which is expected to cost £3,000.
Mr Gurman added: “With that in mind, I think the Quest 3 may be making some noise this holiday season, especially as XR is top of mind with consumers.”
MailOnline has approached Meta for comment.