Metaconnect 2022: A Look at the Future of Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality

The annual Metaconnect event was held recently, showcasing the latest advancements in virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality technology. The event was attended by enthusiasts and industry experts alike, who were eager to catch a glimpse of what the future holds for these emerging technologies.

One of the most notable features showcased at the event was the Quest Pro headset. As expected, Meta emphasized that this new device is not designed with consumers in mind, but rather with businesses and organizations in mind. The Quest Pro is priced at $1,500, which is significantly more expensive than Meta's previous 500 Quest 2 headset. However, it's worth noting that the Quest Pro is on par with the HTC Vive headsets from Dell and much cheaper than Microsoft's 3300 Hololens or Magic Leap's 2300 VR headset.

The Quest Pro was demonstrated in a mixed reality environment where two people were wearing the headset in the same physical space. They were interacting with each other in the metaverse, and at one point, one of them took a bite of toast while the other was watching. This example showed that the Quest Pro can seamlessly blend virtual and real-world experiences, creating an immersive experience for users.

Metaconnect also featured a demo of Meta's new augmented reality (AR) technology, which is designed to enhance gaming experiences. The company announced several games available on the Quest Pro, including Marvel's Iron Man VR and Among Us VR, which will be released in November with pre-orders already open.

In addition to gaming, Meta showcased its plans for creating more entertainment content in Horizon Worlds. The company is partnering with NBC Universal to develop select content, including shows like "The Office" and "Universal Monsters: DreamWorks." This partnership aims to bring more immersive experiences to the metaverse.

Another exciting development announced by Meta was the integration of its AR technology into Instagram and Facebook apps. Users will now be able to access virtual stores, try on digital clothes, and even purchase products directly from their avatars. This feature is expected to enhance the overall user experience in these platforms.

Moreover, Meta announced plans to develop opportunities for users to create personal spaces within Horizon Worlds. This feature aims to make the metaverse more accessible and inviting for everyone. The company also revealed updates to its AR hardware, including a partnership with SLR Lexotica to create Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses.

One of the most fascinating announcements made at Metaconnect was the development of electromyography (EMG) technology. This technology uses motor neuron signals to control devices, allowing users to interact with their surroundings in new and innovative ways. The EMG prototype showed its potential for gaming, helping people with visual or hearing impairments navigate their environment more easily.

Meta also showcased the first-generation avatars that will be available on Horizon Worlds. These avatars are designed to be customizable, including different body types and disability accessories like wheelchairs and hearing aids. Users can even shop for digital clothes and accessories within the metaverse.

The development of next-generation avatars is expected to bring a new level of immersion to the metaverse. The avatars will have more realistic movements, allowing users to interact with their surroundings in a more lifelike way. This technology also holds promise for helping people with disabilities, as it allows them to control devices using motor neuron signals.

Finally, Meta announced its plans for integrating text features into its AR hardware, which includes the development of transition lenses and a portal to access the metaverse. These features are expected to be released in the near future but will require significant development and testing.

In conclusion, Metaconnect 2022 was an exciting event that showcased the latest advancements in VR and mixed reality technology. From the Quest Pro headset to the integration of AR into social media platforms, there's no doubt that these technologies are poised to revolutionize the way we interact with the world around us.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enmetaconnect 2022 meta's annual virtual reality developers conference took place in meta's Horizon worlds hey everyone and welcome to connect if there was any doubt about meta's commitment to building out the metaverse Mark Zuckerberg laid out the company's plan in his choreographed keynote address we believe in this Vision so deeply that we renamed our whole company after it and we're in a moment now when a lot of the technologies that will power the metaverse are starting to take off he unveiled the new Quest Pro VR headset highlighted meta's push into the workplace and showed off meta's next-gen avatars with wait for it legs he also gave us a glimpse into the tech metas developing for the future metaverse so without further Ado let's get into the biggest announcements at this year's metaconnect we finally got to see the new Quest Pro headset which was teased last year as project Cambria this is meta Quest Pro meta's Next Generation headset is the first to have built-in mixed reality features the quest Pro Sports lenses that are 40 thinner than the quest 2. with LCD displays that allow for more pixels and sharper visuals it delivers more expression and a deeper feeling of connection than any other technology with mixed reality built in it lets you do things that just haven't even been possible before it's all in a beautiful design that's comfortable to wear unlike previous VR headsets the quest Pro allows you to see both your physical and VR environments at the same time that's a noticeable Improvement for more clumsy VR users like me with the quest Pro's open peripheral features you're less likely to trip and fall either in the virtual world or in the real one or both but if you really enjoy the fully immersive experience don't worry you can turn on the headset's magnetic light blockers to lock into the virtual world the quest Pro's touched Pro controllers have 3D space sensors that use your hands to map a mixed reality environment separate from the headset with better haptic feedback you can also add a stylus tip to the controllers if you want to design or write anything in the metaverse the Zuckerberg's keynote also made it clear that meta is pushing the quest Pro as a device people can use to interact with other people in the metaverse using mixed reality using high-res cameras to capture pixels Zuckerberg claims physical objects are also accessible in the metaverse with the quest Pro headset but metaconnect didn't do a great job of showcasing this feature there was a part of the headset demo where two people were in the same room wearing Quest Pros but only interacting with each other in the metaverse at one point we see the woman take a bite of toast in her physical space which in the metaverse looked like like she was eating the air wait what are you doing I'm eating cold I'm really hungry funny but also kind of weird not the best example of the VR headsets mixed reality capabilities at fifteen hundred dollars the quest Pro is much more expensive than meta's previous 500 Quest 2 headset on par with the HTC Vive headsets from Dell but much cheaper than Microsoft's 3300 hololens or magic leap's 2300 VR headset not exactly consumer friendly price either the Zuckerberg didn't explicitly say it but it seems like the quest Pro was designed as a device for companies using the headset in Virtual workspaces rather than consumers at home speaking of work meta is partnering with Microsoft and zoom so users can join these Platforms in the metaverse like zoom's breakout rooms and Microsoft teams as in-person work ramps up we want everyone to have the ability to feel like they're present even if they're not physically there it's also partnering with spark AR to develop mixed reality tools so companies can review 3D products in Virtual workspaces meta's new Quest Pro headset also enables gaming and mixed reality meta showed how Gamers can play the popular VR Game beat saber in their physical space metaconnect announced games like Marvel's anticipated Iron Man VR and Among Us VR available in November with pre-orders open now for zombie lovers retribution Sky Dance's next chapter in The Walking Dead series will be out later this year ain't the only one who thrives on Create and have Behemoth another VR game from skydance will be available in 2023 besides games meta is bringing more entertainment content to Horizon worlds the company is partnering with NBC Universal to develop select content like the office Universal monsters DreamWorks and More in Horizon worlds and at Universal's theme parks in 2023 meta also announced plans to develop opportunities for users to create personal spaces like your home in the Horizon worlds app meta also revealed some updates to its AR Hardware continuing their partnership with SLR lexotica to create Ray-Ban stories meta's first ever Smart glasses teased last year with the new Ray-Ban stories wearers can take photos and videos share content on social media listen to music on Spotify and answer phone calls Zuckerberg says meta is developing text features for hands-free connectivity adding transition lenses and creating a portal to access the metaverse but those are multi-year projects so don't expect them anytime soon Zuckerberg also revealed meta's Next Generation avatars in Horizon worlds walking into the virtual room on two legs something we haven't seen before in the metaverse the Zuckerberg admits Avatar legs take a lot of work to generate and match the Avatar's top half but will be a feature in wait for it 2023 besides Zuckerberg's Avatar legs meta announced that you can now sink your avatar across all of meta's apps instead of creating new ones for each individual experience so Instagram Facebook messenger and WhatsApp are all getting these updates that's a big step in creating continuity throughout the metaverse a common complaint amongst VR users meta's next-gen avatars also allow for more customizable features especially when it comes to inclusivity users can now choose between different body types adding disability accessories like Wheelchairs and hearing aids plus a variety of skin tones users can also shop for digital clothes for their Avatar as more retailers open Virtual stores in the metaverse speaking for myself I'm not sure I'm willing to invest in a digital outfit for my avatar unless I can also wear it in real life or maybe I just don't want to spend the money on something only my avatar gets to wear something to think about Mark arguably the coolest part of metaconnect 2022 was a headset that Zuckerberg didn't show on video but still demonstrated how simply by using motor neuron signals users could check and respond to messages or take photos we have working demos of this stuff and it's pretty pretty mind-blowing the electromyography Prototype or EMG for short is still in the research and development phase but Zuckerberg showed how EMG has the potential for gaming helping people with visual or hearing impairments better navigate their environment and combining individuals and AI for a human machine interactivity in the metaverse so that was a quick Roundup of the things announced at this year's metaconnect be sure to check out Scott Stein's Hands-On demo of the quest Pro as well as a few demos of other products announced but what did you think about metaconnect what caught your attention personally I found the EMG most interesting I think it has tons of implications for AI learning science even architecture leave a comment below and remember to like this video thanks for watchingmetaconnect 2022 meta's annual virtual reality developers conference took place in meta's Horizon worlds hey everyone and welcome to connect if there was any doubt about meta's commitment to building out the metaverse Mark Zuckerberg laid out the company's plan in his choreographed keynote address we believe in this Vision so deeply that we renamed our whole company after it and we're in a moment now when a lot of the technologies that will power the metaverse are starting to take off he unveiled the new Quest Pro VR headset highlighted meta's push into the workplace and showed off meta's next-gen avatars with wait for it legs he also gave us a glimpse into the tech metas developing for the future metaverse so without further Ado let's get into the biggest announcements at this year's metaconnect we finally got to see the new Quest Pro headset which was teased last year as project Cambria this is meta Quest Pro meta's Next Generation headset is the first to have built-in mixed reality features the quest Pro Sports lenses that are 40 thinner than the quest 2. with LCD displays that allow for more pixels and sharper visuals it delivers more expression and a deeper feeling of connection than any other technology with mixed reality built in it lets you do things that just haven't even been possible before it's all in a beautiful design that's comfortable to wear unlike previous VR headsets the quest Pro allows you to see both your physical and VR environments at the same time that's a noticeable Improvement for more clumsy VR users like me with the quest Pro's open peripheral features you're less likely to trip and fall either in the virtual world or in the real one or both but if you really enjoy the fully immersive experience don't worry you can turn on the headset's magnetic light blockers to lock into the virtual world the quest Pro's touched Pro controllers have 3D space sensors that use your hands to map a mixed reality environment separate from the headset with better haptic feedback you can also add a stylus tip to the controllers if you want to design or write anything in the metaverse the Zuckerberg's keynote also made it clear that meta is pushing the quest Pro as a device people can use to interact with other people in the metaverse using mixed reality using high-res cameras to capture pixels Zuckerberg claims physical objects are also accessible in the metaverse with the quest Pro headset but metaconnect didn't do a great job of showcasing this feature there was a part of the headset demo where two people were in the same room wearing Quest Pros but only interacting with each other in the metaverse at one point we see the woman take a bite of toast in her physical space which in the metaverse looked like like she was eating the air wait what are you doing I'm eating cold I'm really hungry funny but also kind of weird not the best example of the VR headsets mixed reality capabilities at fifteen hundred dollars the quest Pro is much more expensive than meta's previous 500 Quest 2 headset on par with the HTC Vive headsets from Dell but much cheaper than Microsoft's 3300 hololens or magic leap's 2300 VR headset not exactly consumer friendly price either the Zuckerberg didn't explicitly say it but it seems like the quest Pro was designed as a device for companies using the headset in Virtual workspaces rather than consumers at home speaking of work meta is partnering with Microsoft and zoom so users can join these Platforms in the metaverse like zoom's breakout rooms and Microsoft teams as in-person work ramps up we want everyone to have the ability to feel like they're present even if they're not physically there it's also partnering with spark AR to develop mixed reality tools so companies can review 3D products in Virtual workspaces meta's new Quest Pro headset also enables gaming and mixed reality meta showed how Gamers can play the popular VR Game beat saber in their physical space metaconnect announced games like Marvel's anticipated Iron Man VR and Among Us VR available in November with pre-orders open now for zombie lovers retribution Sky Dance's next chapter in The Walking Dead series will be out later this year ain't the only one who thrives on Create and have Behemoth another VR game from skydance will be available in 2023 besides games meta is bringing more entertainment content to Horizon worlds the company is partnering with NBC Universal to develop select content like the office Universal monsters DreamWorks and More in Horizon worlds and at Universal's theme parks in 2023 meta also announced plans to develop opportunities for users to create personal spaces like your home in the Horizon worlds app meta also revealed some updates to its AR Hardware continuing their partnership with SLR lexotica to create Ray-Ban stories meta's first ever Smart glasses teased last year with the new Ray-Ban stories wearers can take photos and videos share content on social media listen to music on Spotify and answer phone calls Zuckerberg says meta is developing text features for hands-free connectivity adding transition lenses and creating a portal to access the metaverse but those are multi-year projects so don't expect them anytime soon Zuckerberg also revealed meta's Next Generation avatars in Horizon worlds walking into the virtual room on two legs something we haven't seen before in the metaverse the Zuckerberg admits Avatar legs take a lot of work to generate and match the Avatar's top half but will be a feature in wait for it 2023 besides Zuckerberg's Avatar legs meta announced that you can now sink your avatar across all of meta's apps instead of creating new ones for each individual experience so Instagram Facebook messenger and WhatsApp are all getting these updates that's a big step in creating continuity throughout the metaverse a common complaint amongst VR users meta's next-gen avatars also allow for more customizable features especially when it comes to inclusivity users can now choose between different body types adding disability accessories like Wheelchairs and hearing aids plus a variety of skin tones users can also shop for digital clothes for their Avatar as more retailers open Virtual stores in the metaverse speaking for myself I'm not sure I'm willing to invest in a digital outfit for my avatar unless I can also wear it in real life or maybe I just don't want to spend the money on something only my avatar gets to wear something to think about Mark arguably the coolest part of metaconnect 2022 was a headset that Zuckerberg didn't show on video but still demonstrated how simply by using motor neuron signals users could check and respond to messages or take photos we have working demos of this stuff and it's pretty pretty mind-blowing the electromyography Prototype or EMG for short is still in the research and development phase but Zuckerberg showed how EMG has the potential for gaming helping people with visual or hearing impairments better navigate their environment and combining individuals and AI for a human machine interactivity in the metaverse so that was a quick Roundup of the things announced at this year's metaconnect be sure to check out Scott Stein's Hands-On demo of the quest Pro as well as a few demos of other products announced but what did you think about metaconnect what caught your attention personally I found the EMG most interesting I think it has tons of implications for AI learning science even architecture leave a comment below and remember to like this video thanks for watching\n"