All the news from Meta Connect 2022 – The Verge

Meta figured out legs for its avatars

2022-10-11T14:02:31-04:00

Mark Zuckerberg’s avatar now has legs. | Image: Meta

Meta's Horizon avatars will be getting legs. So far, the company's avatars have weirdly just hovered off the ground, but sometime later next year, Meta will let you add legs to your avatars on VR, mobile, and more as part of the company's next generation of avatars.

Legs are "probably the most requested feature on our roadmap," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at the company's Connect event while showing off the new avatars, which look significantly better than the avatars available now. (Imagine the improved avatar Zuckerberg showed after his current-gen avatar got memed on but in motion.) "But seriously, legs are hard, which is why other vir …

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Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to the Meta Quest

2022-10-11T13:49:41-04:00

Microsoft is bringing Xbox Cloud Gaming to Meta's Quest VR platform. The two companies announced the partnership at Meta's Connect event on Tuesday but didn't announce a release date.

With Xbox Cloud Gaming, "You'll be able to play 2D games with your Xbox controller projected on a massive screen on Quest," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said during the event's keynote.

You won't suddenly be able to play Halo Infinite as a VR-native game, but the app could make for a more immersive experience while playing any of the hundreds of games in the vast Xbox Cloud Gaming library since you'll be seeing your game on a big virtual screen. (And it gives …

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Microsoft partners with Meta to bring Teams, Office, Windows, and Xbox to VR

2022-10-11T13:47:00-04:00

Microsoft Teams on Meta’s Quest VR headsets. | Image: Meta

Microsoft and Meta looked like they were on a collision course last year, poised to compete heavily for the future of work in the metaverse. But today, both companies announced they are partnering to collaborate on how people will work and even game in virtual reality. That starts with Microsoft bringing its biggest services - Teams, Office, Windows, and even Xbox Cloud Gaming - to Meta's Quest VR headsets.

It's a surprise partnership that will see Microsoft and Meta combine their strengths. Microsoft sees an opportunity to bring Teams and its other productivity experiences to a capable VR headset, and Meta gets a key partner in its grand m …

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The Meta Quest Pro will feature the new Snapdragon XR2 Plus VR chip

2022-10-11T13:36:17-04:00

The Meta Quest Pro virtual reality headset. | Photo by Alex Heath / The Verge

Meta finally showed off its Quest Pro virtual reality (VR) headset at its Connect event on Tuesday, revealing that the high-end device will sport the new Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 1 chip. Qualcomm says the chip offers 50 percent higher sustained power and 30 percent better thermal performance than the XR2 Gen 1 chip included in the Meta Quest 2.

The Quest Pro headset features 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and 10 high-res sensors distributed on both the inside and outside of the headset, with the XR2 Plus Gen 1 chip helping to enable face and eye tracking. This technology's paired with the Snapdragon 662 chip in the Quest Touch Pro controller …

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The Meta Quest Pro is a cutting-edge headset looking for an audience

2022-10-11T13:33:15-04:00

The Meta Quest Pro | Photo by Alex Heath / The Verge

The first thing I notice with the Meta Quest Pro is the fit. Even after eight years, Meta's (formerly Facebook's) virtual reality headsets are typically bulky, front-heavy affairs. But the Quest Pro rests around my head easily, with its battery shifted to a back mount and its electronics pared down to a lighter layer over my face. Though it's bigger than your typical pair of glasses or even your typical ski mask, it's a major step forward for the biggest VR headset maker around.

It's clear where that step is going, but for now, I'm less sure where it's landed. The Quest Pro is a $1,499 variation on the $399 Meta Quest 2, improving on that h …

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The Meta Quest Pro costs $1,499 and ships October 25th

2022-10-11T13:33:12-04:00

The Meta Quest Pro. | Image: Meta

Meta has finally announced the Meta Quest Pro: a $1,499 virtual reality headset it's been teasing for the past year. The Quest Pro is a new branch of the Quest VR headset lineup, featuring a new processor and screen, a dramatically redesigned body and controllers, inward-facing cameras for eye and face tracking, and a color video feed for mixed reality apps. Preorders open today in 22 countries, and devices will ship on October 25th.

The Quest Pro will sit alongside the $399 Quest 2, which Meta will continue selling as well. But where the Quest 2 user base favors fitness, games, and other entertainment, the Quest Pro is aimed at businesses …

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Meta’s workout-friendly Quest Active Pack is releasing October 25th

2022-10-11T13:26:24-04:00

Meta announced that a new sweat-resistant face mask and controller straps for exercising in the Quest 2 will be available for purchase online starting Tuesday, October 25th. We initially covered the Active Pack exercise-ready accessories kit when it was unveiled during last year's showcase, and we didn't expect that it'd come so close to missing its 2022 launch window. Nevertheless, it's almost ready to ship. The company still hasn't announced how much it will cost.

The Active Pack includes a wipeable facial interface that can likely stand up to sweat better than the plush one that comes installed by default, two wrist straps, and adjustabl …

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Among Us VR launches November 10th

2022-10-11T13:19:12-04:00

Shhhh! During Meta Connect we were treated to some new games coming to the Meta Quest 2 VR headset, including the long-awaited VR port of the still ludicrously popular Among Us. Now, that game has a release date: Among Us VR launches on November 10th. Play with up to nine other people as you work to repair your spaceship and avoid an untimely murder at the hands of crewmates (whose VR hands look just as uncanny valley upsetting as those realistic Kirby feet.)

Among Us was one of those lightning in a bottle games. Launched in 2018, the pandemic exploded the game's popularity so much that celebrities and politicians play just as much as your …

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Mark Zuckerberg is about to reveal Meta’s next VR headset

2022-10-11T08:00:00-04:00

Mark Zuckerberg teasing Meta’s upcoming “Project Cambria” headset. | Image: Meta

He bet his company on building the metaverse a year ago by rebranding Facebook to Meta. Now, it's time for a progress update.

During Meta's annual Connect conference later today, CEO Mark Zuckerberg will reveal "Project Cambria," the high-end VR headset he has been teasing in interviews and social media posts all year. The device is expected to focus on more than just VR by adding mixed reality, technology that blends the virtual and physical. Face and eye tracking will also enable more realistic avatars and higher-fidelity graphics. Expect a price point that is significantly higher than the Quest 2's $399 price tag.

Zuckerberg has been hy …

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