Technology Desk: Now VR will not mean being cut off from the world by wearing a heavy headset. Meta has introduced its new VR Glasses technology, which the company has designed keeping in mind everyday use. The most important thing is its weight is about 100 grams. That is, it is much lighter than the old VR headset and an attempt has been made to improve the experience of wearing it for a long time.
According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it weighs less than a fifth of the Meta Quest 3. But the question is how did so much technology come into such small and light glasses?
Glasses on face, computer in pocket
Meta has taken an interesting approach to this. Instead of cramming components like processor, battery and storage into the frame of the glasses, the company has placed the computing hardware in a separate small rectangular box. The user can clip this box in his pocket or bag. There will be an optical tether connection between the glasses and this computing box. That means just the display and optical system on the face, while the real computing power is in the pocket!
5K virtual world before your eyes
Meta's new glasses have a 5K Infinite Display, which is based on a micro-OLED panel. It is said to support 37 pixels per degree, due to which it is claimed to see small text and fine details more clearly. Along with pancake lens, support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos spatial audio will also be available.
This means that this device will not be limited to playing only VR games. Be it watching a movie on a large virtual screen or having a cinematic experience with high-quality spatial audio, Meta is also offering it as a kind of portable theater.
Will not be cut off from the world in VR
A major problem with traditional VR headsets is that after wearing them, contact with the surrounding world is significantly reduced. This aspect has also been changed in the new design of Meta.
The sides of the glasses are kept open and with the help of passthrough cameras, the facility to view the surrounding environment is provided. Imagine you are sitting on a plane and there are several virtual screens open in front of you simultaneously. Work on one screen, movie on the second and a game on the third. If needed, you can also keep an eye on the real world around you.
Less need of controller, eyes and hands will do the work
Meta has integrated its Meta AI agent into the device's operating system. The user will be able to control the glasses with voice, eye movement and natural hand gestures.
Opening an app, playing a movie, changing workspaces or searching for information on the Internet, many of these tasks can be done without a physical controller. Qualcomm's Snapdragon Reality Elite processor has been provided in the device. According to the company, the battery of the External Computing Box can last for about three hours during high-resolution media playback and will support 45W fast charging.
The experience of movies will also be special
Meta has also designed this device quite aggressively for entertainment.
According to the company, this will be the first IMAX Enhanced-certified VR device. Select films can be viewed in the expanded aspect ratio of IMAX. Apart from this, under partnership with Disney, there will be access to select 3D content of Disney + in supported markets. Star Wars, Marvel and Monsters, Inc. Immersive virtual environments related to such franchises will also be available.
Meta's new VR Enhanced Cinema format will try to take the movie watching experience even further. In this, the film will not only play on the screen, but the virtual environment around it can also become a part of the story experience.
It is also said that versions in this format will be prepared for films like Avengers: Infinity War and Star Wars: A New Hope.
Want to watch the match? The seat was also of your choice!
Meta VR Glasses also has big plans for sports. According to the company, it plans to provide more than 100 immersive live sports events every year after launch.
Its purpose is to provide such an experience, instead of watching the match sitting in front of the TV screen, in which the viewer can feel himself in the virtual courtside or stadium position. Services like Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, DIRECTV, AMC+, Crunchyroll, Plex and Tubi will also be part of its entertainment ecosystem. Whereas Peacock, HBO Max and Paramount+ are preparing to bring their 3D catalogs on the platform.
take the office with you
Meta's dream is not limited to just virtual cinema. The company is also considering these glasses as a portable workspace. The user can create one large virtual screen or multiple screens. The glasses can be connected to a Mac or Windows PC wirelessly or via USB-C.
Even the facility to use the table or desk as a virtual keyboard and touchpad has been provided. This means that in the coming time, the laptop screen may start appearing smaller, because instead of your real screen, the entire virtual desk will be floating in front of you.
Support of more than 75 games in gaming
Meta has also made special preparations for gamers. At the time of launch, hand gesture control will be supported in more than 75 games. There will also be continued access to Meta Quest's extensive game catalog and support for Touch Plus controllers. The facility to stream games from Bluetooth controller will also be available through Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Your digital lookalike will appear in video call
The most interesting feature of Meta is probably its hologram system.
According to the company, it can create a photo-realistic digital representation of the user, which will also include facial expressions and reactions.
During a video call, your digital avatar can be visible to other VR Glasses users in the virtual space. Whereas a person connected to a normal phone or computer will see the same digital representation on the screen. This technology is said to work on many calling services including WhatsApp and Zoom. Through spatial audio, sound can also be felt as coming from the right direction in the virtual space.
Will start from America in 2027
Meta VR Glasses are planned to go on sale in the US in Spring 2027. Its price has been kept at $1,299.99, which is approximately Rs 1.25 lakh in Indian currency. At present, no information has been given regarding its availability in other markets including India.
Overall, Meta's new experiment is an attempt to make VR a part of work, cinema, gaming, communication and everyday computing, instead of seeing VR only as a gaming or entertainment technology.
The biggest change is that now the computer can be present not in front of you on the screen, but in the form of a complete virtual world in front of your eyes.
