I’m already terrified of Meta Quest Pro
While adding legs to its VR avatars made headlines this week, Meta also announced a brand new version of its own Oculus Quest headphones, Meta Quest Pro. It’s a very stylish and very expensive upgrade over the existing Quest headset – and I’m already horrified by it.
The new headset is the first to offer a “mixed reality” experience, merging the metaverse and the real world. It features glasses-like lenses that allow the user to see the world around them and a 50% faster processor. Oh, and inward-facing cameras that track your eye and facial movements. (Not into the VR game yet? Check out the best Meta Quest offers.)
Yes, it turns out that the $1,500 Advent VR headset brought with it some changes to Meta’s privacy policy, including a rather dystopian sounding one Eye Tracking Privacy Notice (opens in new tab).
Meta says eye tracking “uses cameras to estimate the direction your eyes are looking. This feature is used to make your avatar’s eye contact and facial expressions look more natural during your virtual interactions with other users and to improve image quality within the area you are looking at.” to VR.” That’s all well and good, but it will also be used “to help Meta personalize your experiences” – which sounds like an advertisement to me.
It’s easy (and scary) to imagine how eye tracking could be used for advertising. It’s no secret that social media platforms collect data such as how long a user views a post before scrolling past it. Is it hard to imagine Meta collecting data on which ads – or parts of ads – caught your eye?
Still, despite these characteristic Facebook fears, there’s no denying that Meta Quest Pro looks pretty great from a hardware perspective. Unlike the boxy shape of the Quest 2, the Pro actually manages to make the VR headset look a bit sleeker, with a 40% slimmer design. The controllers are also much smaller, with motion cameras removing the need for that slightly ridiculous plastic ‘halo’ you’ll find on previous models.
Time will tell if Meta Quest Pro proves to be a hit, but one thing is for sure – VR is having something of a moment. You could say an idea it has legs. If you’re wondering what it’s all about, check out our guide what is the metaverse.
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