Meta’s Zuckerberg Announces VR Headset For Work, Says It Will Replace Laptops

A person using VR goggles, with the Meta logo on them. Photo 238990522 © Korn Vitthayanukarun | Dreamstime.com

As people navigate the confusing corporate contortionist of remote setups, hybrid arrangements, and a full return to the office, Meta is already moving things into the next dimension. It’s no secret that the Facebook-owned company intends to transport work and play into the metaverse, and it’s now been revealed that one of its plans to make that happen is by launching dedicated headgear for work.

You’ve been told how important it is to set clear boundaries between life and work at home; work should be done at a specific zone, and it should not be taken with you to areas of rest. The same should be said for virtual-reality headsets, it seems. At Meta’s latest earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg pronounced that the company is building VR goggles more sophisticated than the Meta Quest 2 (formerly Oculus Quest 2). Unlike most existing gear, this one’s exclusively for work.

Zuckerberg shared the full transcript of the conference call in a Facebook post. He outlined that this “higher-end headset,” codenamed ‘Project Cambria’, will be powerful enough to “eventually [replace] your laptop or work setup.”

The Meta founder added that ergonomics for the device will be better—after all, you’ll need to stay comfortable during nine-to-five hours. He elaborated that the upcoming gadget will have “full-color passthrough mixed reality” to flawlessly merge virtual reality and the physical world.

In addition, Meta is working on eye-tracking and face-tracking to automatically correlate with facial expressions and eye contact in the metaverse, “which dramatically improves your sense of presence,” Zuckerberg added. Translation of physical body language will give Meta’s hardware an edge over others, he noted, “whether you’re playing a game or meeting with coworkers in Horizon Workrooms.”

Work settings in the metaverse can take on the form of a home office or the creator’s idealized setup, as Zuckerberg demonstrated in images posted in early April.

The Meta CEO said more details about Project Cambria will be revealed in the coming months.

[via IGN and PC Gamer, cover photo 238990522 © Korn Vitthayanukarun | Dreamstime.com]