In the latest earnings call, Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, revealed that the company’s next VR headset will focus on work use cases, instead of gaming.
Called Project Cambria, Meta’s upcoming VR headset was first revealed at Connect 2021. Since then, we’ve known that it will be priced considerably higher than the Meta Quest 2, the headset of choice for 46% of Steam users.
It’s now clear that Meta wants to justify the higher price by positioning the headset as a laptop/desktop replacement that can be comfortably used for an extended period of time to get work done.
“Later this year, we’ll release a higher-end headset, codenamed Project Cambria, which will be more focused on work use cases and eventually replacing your laptop or work setup,” said Zuckerberg. “This premium device will have improved ergonomics and full color passthrough mixed reality to seamlessly blend virtual reality with the physical world.”
Zuckerberg also revealed that the upcoming headset will have face and eye tracking to allow avatars to make eye content and facial expressions for an improved sense of presence.
Project Cambria is expected to release later this year, so it’s likely that it will be available for testing and purchase in Meta’s first physical store, which is set to open at the company’s Burlingame campus in California opens on 9 May.
The store is part of Meta’s ongoing effort to create the so-called metaverse and bring it to the masses. By giving people who are interested in virtual reality the opportunity to try its headsets in person before purchase, the company hopes to boost the sales of its already successful products.
Besides the Quest 2 headset, anyone who visits the Meta Store will also be able to try the smart glasses Meta produces in partnership with Ray-Ban.
