Meta’s Enhanced Quest Headsets Challenge Apple’s Vision Pro

Meta is set to adopt an aggressive approach in its competition with Apple, particularly with enhancements to its Quest headsets.

These enhancements include spatial video and new control features designed to rival Apple’s Vision Pro.

Apple has positioned spatial video capture and playback as a key feature of its headset. However, it seems it will not be the only device on the market capable of handling stereoscopic videos.

In a strategic move, Meta is updating its Quest titles to include spatial video playback capabilities and more, aligning the launch with that of the Apple Vision Pro to ensure competitive timing.

Important features have been added to Meta Quests

Meta’s Quest 3 is set to introduce new features, including the capability to easily watch spatial videos and utilize pinch gestures for control. These features closely resemble what’s available in Apple’s more expensive Vision Pro headset, which is launching today. The introduction of spatial video support and new control options will be part of the v62 update, gradually rolling out to owners of Quest 2, Quest 3, and Quest Pro titles.

Spatial video support will enable users to view 3D images captured with Apple’s headset or an iPhone 3 Pro/Pro Max. These 3D videos come with metadata that Vision Pro can use to calculate the differences for each eye. Meta has indicated that users can upload up to 20 minutes of spatial video to the Meta Quest mobile app, with access to these videos available through the headset’s Files menu. Notably, the content will be stored in the cloud rather than on the device.

Meta’s Quest 3, which launched at a price of $499 last year, offers a more affordable alternative to Apple’s Vision Pro, which is priced at $3,499. In addition to spatial video, Meta’s v62 update brings other changes to Quest headsets. These include a “pinch and release” gesture to open the universal menu and an extended pinch control with a “pinch and hold” option for adjusting the header view. These gestures resemble those utilized with the Vision Pro and are reminiscent of the “air touch” feature seen in Microsoft’s HoloLens.

Meta is also enhancing the Quest Browser with external controller support to improve game streaming accessibility. Furthermore, Quest Link updates will introduce 120Hz refresh rates for compatible PCVR games. Quest headset users can look forward to a continuity feature that allows them to switch between different virtual reality experiences while continuing tasks in various apps.

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