Meta’s Quest 3 could also be lower than a 12 months previous, however Meta seems to be engaged on a number of follow-ups. Leaks and rumors level to the existence of a Meta Quest 3 Lite – a less expensive model of the Meta Quest 3 – and a Meta Quest Professional 2 – a follow-up to the high-end Meta Quest Professional.
The unique Meta Quest Professional doesn’t appear to have been all that fashionable – evidenced by the actual fact its value was completely lower by a 3rd lower than six months after its launch – however the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional appears to have fueled a renaissance of high-end standalone VR {hardware}. This implies we’re getting a Samsung XR headset (developed in partnership with Google), and principally doubtless a Meta Quest Professional 2 of some form.
Whereas one leak advised the Meta Quest Professional 2 had been delayed – after Meta cancelled a undertaking that the leak advised was set to be the subsequent Quest Professional – there’s greater than just a little proof that the system is on the best way. Right here’s the entire proof, in addition to every little thing it’s essential know in regards to the Meta Quest Professional 2 – together with a few of our perception, and the options we’d most prefer to see it get.
Meta Quest Professional 2: Value
As a result of the Meta Quest Professional 2 hasn’t been introduced we don’t know precisely how a lot it’ll value, however we count on it’ll be at the very least as dear as the unique which launched at $1,499.99 / £1,499.99 / AU$2,449.99.
The Meta Quest Professional was completely discounted to $999.99 / £999.99 / AU$1729.99 5 months after it launched, however we count on this was Meta trying to provide the Quest Professional a much-needed gross sales enhance relatively than a sign of the headsets precise value. So we count on that is less expensive than Quest Professional 2 will likely be.
What’s extra, on condition that the system is anticipated to be extra of an Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional competitor — which prices $3,500 or round £2,800 / AU$5,350 – with highly effective specs, LG-made OLED panels, and will boast next-gen combined actuality capabilities there’s an excellent likelihood it might value greater than its predecessor.
As such we’re anticipating it to return in at nearer $2,000 / £2,000 / AU$3,000. Over time, and as extra leaks in regards to the {hardware} come out, we should always begin to get a greater concept of its value – although as all the time we gained’t know for sure how a lot it’ll value till Meta says one thing formally.
Meta Quest Professional 2: Launch date
Meta hasn’t introduced the Quest Professional 2 but – and even teased it. Given its standard launch schedule this implies the earliest we’re more likely to see a Professional mannequin is October 2025; that’s as a result of it could tease the system at this 12 months’s Meta Join in September/October 2024, after which launch it the next 12 months’s occasion because it did with the unique Quest Professional and Quest 3.
However there are a number of causes we might see it launch eventually. On the later launch date aspect of issues now we have the rumored Meta Quest 3 Lite – a less expensive model of the Meta Quest 3. Meta might wish to push this reasonably priced mannequin out the gate sooner relatively than later, that means that it would must take a launch slot that might have been utilized by the Quest Professional 2.
Alternatively, Meta might wish to push a high-end mannequin out ASAP in order to not let the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional and others just like the Samsung XR headset nook the high-end VR market. If that is so it might forgo its standard tease then launch technique and simply launch the headset later this 12 months – or tease it at Join 2024 then launch it in early 2025 relatively than a 12 months later in late 2025 because it normally would.
This hypothesis all assumes a Meta Quest Professional 2 is even on the best way – although Meta has strongly advised that one other Professional mannequin would come sooner or later; we’ll simply have to attend and see what’s up its sleeve.
Meta Quest Professional 2: Specs
Primarily based on LG and Meta’s announcement of their official partnership to convey OLED shows to Meta VR headsets sooner or later, it’s doubtless that the Meta Quest Professional 2 would characteristic OLED screens. Whereas these type of shows are usually dear, the Quest Professional 2 is anticipated to be a high-end mannequin (with a excessive price ticket), and boasting OLED panels would put it on par with different high-end XR merchandise just like the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional.
It additionally appears doubtless the Meta Quest Professional 2 will boast a Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chipset – the successor to the Gen 1 utilized by the Quest Professional. If it launches additional sooner or later than we count on it could as a substitute boast a at the moment unannounced Gen 3 mannequin.
Whereas rumors haven’t teased every other specs, we additionally assume the system would characteristic full-color combined actuality like Meta’s Quest 3 and Quest Professional – although ideally the passthrough can be larger high quality than both of those gadgets (or at the very least, higher than the Quest Professional’s relatively poor combined actuality).
Past this, we predict the system would have specs at the very least pretty much as good as its predecessor. By that we imply we count on the bottom Quest Professional 2 would include 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage and a two-hour minimal battery life.
Meta Quest Professional 2: What we wish to see
We’ve already highlighted in depth what we wish to see from the Meta Quest Professional 2 – particularly it ought to ditch eye-tracking and change it with 4 completely different options. However we’ll recap a few of these factors right here, and make a number of new ones of issues we wish to see from the Quest Professional 2.
Vastly higher mixed-reality passthrough, extra leisure apps and, 4K OLED shows would go an extended approach to making the Meta Quest Professional 2 really feel much more like a Imaginative and prescient Professional competitor – so we hope to see them on the Quest Professional 2.
Eye-tracking might additionally assist, however Meta actually must show it’s worthwhile. Thus far each occasion of the tech looks like an costly tech demo for a characteristic that’s neat, however not all that helpful.
Ignoring specs and design for a second, our most necessary hope is that the Quest Professional 2 isn’t as prohibitively costly because the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. Whereas the Imaginative and prescient Professional is nice, $3,500 is an excessive amount of even for a high-end VR headset when you think about the realities of how and the way typically the system will likely be used. Ideally the Quest Professional 2 can be at most $2,000 / £2,000 / AU$3,000, although till we all know extra about its specs we gained’t understand how practical our request is.
Lastly we hope the system is mild, maybe with a detachable battery pack just like the one seen within the HTC Vive XR Elite. This may permit somebody who needs to work at their desk or sit again and watch a movie in VR put on a a lot lighter system for the prolonged time frame (offered their close to an influence supply). Alternatively they’ll plug the battery in and luxuriate in a typical standalone VR expertise – to us this might be a win-win.