It may appear like VR headsets have been available for a long time, but we are still in the early stages of virtual reality.
Just a few years back, the corporation formerly known as Facebook introduced VR to the general public with the Quest 2. With the Quest Pro, Meta is attempting to establish a new basic level of technology that will make digital worlds seem more lifelike, intuitive, and immersive.
The Meta Quest Pro is a virtual reality headset, although a considerably more complex one. And as the name suggests, this is geared towards corporate users, specialists who want to incorporate augmented and virtual worlds into their processes.
It is readily available to consumers; unlike other entirely commercial headsets, enthusiasts may get one without going through hoops. However, the Meta Quest Pro is aimed specifically at experts rather than the general public, and it accomplishes this brilliantly.
Meta Quest Pro: In A Nutshell
Despite a little reduction in resolution, the image on the Quest Pro is far superior to the image on the Quest 2 – it is clear and sharp from edge to edge. The colors are rich and the contrast is high. However, the screen-door effect is more prominent than normal.
The Mixed Reality capabilities are a strong first step. Despite the low image resolution, the color overlay, which includes accurate depth reproduction, produces a good match between the view via the lenses and reality.
Matching MR demonstrations are incredible, but imperfections, poor clarity, and slower controllers make it difficult to operate on a display using the Quest Pro. The Pro controllers for self-tracking are ergonomic and accurate. Wi-Fi streaming through Air Link and the wired method both function nicely.
The head mount is non-replaceable. However, the connection to the back of the skull is very comfortable. The headset sits on the forehead at the front, which might be uncomfortable. It bears the whole weight of the headpiece, which is heavy given its cool form factor, and after a time, it presses awkwardly on the forehead.
Except for young consumers and wealthy VR aficionados, the headset’s high price tag may make it unappealing to private consumers. There is no freestanding VR headset as excellent as the Quest Pro in the professional field.
Meta Quest Pro Vs. Meta Quest 2: A Comparison
The fit and look of the Meta Quest Pro are perfect examples of performance improvements over the Meta Quest 2 headset, which was released in 2020 under the label Oculus Quest 2. Its battery has now been relocated to the back, improving weight distribution. New “pancake” optics are substantially smaller and give superior peripheral vision than traditional round and bulky lenses.
Although the headset is now more ergonomic, wearing it for extended periods might cause headaches. When you first put your Pro on, it will urge users to perform a fit measurement check to ensure the device is securely connected to your head.
Furthermore, the CPU of the Meta Quest Pro has been improved. According to Meta, the new Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Plus offers up to 50% greater performance power. Combined with the new displays, it allows for brighter colors, deeper blacks, and improved graphics.
Due to the upgraded CPU and the addition of eye and facial tracking, your avatar in VR now more precisely resembles you. The most intriguing improvement is eye and facial tracking; when you grin, your avatar also smiles.
Now, your avatar will not be an exact representation of you, but your actual feelings will be revealed through your facial expressions when engaging with others. If you appear pensive, your avatar appears to be immersed in meditation. This gives encounters in the metaverse a more real world experience.
While considerably more light is filtered off than in Quest 2, the room is not fully black. You will need to connect the provided magnetic glare shields to the edges of your headgear. There’s also a magnetic face rim accessory that’s said to block out light completely, but it’s sold separately.
The controllers have also been updated. They are now rechargeable and do not require battery replacement, making them easier to use. Moreover, they monitor your hand motions using outward-facing cameras. They’re less clumsy and even include a fun functionality that allows you to swap the wrist straps with a pen nub to simulate sketching.
Meta has introduced color pass-through functionality to the Pro, replacing the previous models’ hazy black-and-white version, letting you see virtual graphics on top of real-life things. For example, you may view the items in your environment while drawing on a virtual canvas. The virtual canvas is set up in the space you’re in.
Lastly, the headset has slanted speakers that push music into your ears, as well as a microphone that catches even faint whispers somewhat better than the microphone of Quest 2.
1. Suitability
Meta Quest Pro Is Suitable For Those Who
- Desire to use it professionally, such as in (mixed reality) app development
- Would like to create apps for eye- and face-tracking
- Require exactitude, self-tracking, and a crisp, vivid visual
- If you want a nice, crisp, and colorful photograph
- Wish to have the greatest virtual meetings to date since they are very lifelike
- Are completely immersed in Mixed Reality modes or situations, and
Meta Quest Pro Is Not Suitable For Those Who
- Want a very comfortable headset
- Are seeking for a compact and flexible VR headset, such as one with interchangeable head attachments
- Desire a greater resolution than Quest 2
- May anticipate flawless, high-resolution passthrough AR
- Need more than two hours worth of battery life
- Expect a powerful new breed of VR headsets
2. Hardware And Optics
According to Meta, the Quest Pro boasts 50% higher effectiveness than the Quest 2: thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ CPU, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The major difficulty in building this headgear was combining its solitary form with something easy and pleasant to wear.
The firm significantly minimized the width of the headset while maintaining a relatively good resolution by changing to new pancake lenses. But Quest Pro’s images are slower than most of its PC-based competitors, despite maxing out at a 90Hz refresh rate. The Quest Pro also has ten sensors on the inside and outside of the gadget.
The five cameras facing outwards provide hand-tracking, scene interpretation without the need for extra external sensors, and full-color passthrough. Furthermore, the five inward-facing sensors detect eye and facial motions for features such as foveated rendering and better virtual avatar animations.
3. Fit And Design
Meta smartly employed a curved battery incorporated into the rear of the headset to optimize the exchange between energy and comfort, eliminating the need for cables or a cord power cell. When paired with a plush forehead pad and a simple dial for tightening the headband, you have a headset that’s a breeze to put on and take off.
Further adjustments are available through a little dial in front that adjusts lens range, while the interpupillary length is adjusted by simply shifting each lens left and right as desired. Overall, it’s a really simple setup, and owing to the Quest Pro’s fit calibration function, the headset will remind you to modify your settings if it sees anything that isn’t quite right.
Regarding the sound, some speakers enable spatial audio incorporated into the arms of the device, as well as a 3.5mm socket if you want to use your headphones.
4. Controllers
The new Touch Pro Controllers are another important component of the VR headset kit. Meta employs the same fundamental concept that we saw in Quest 2. One of the main changes this time is that the touch controllers now include built-in finger and hand-tracking detectors rather than depending on a large light band with lights. This not only helps to simplify their design but also improves efficiency and responsiveness.
Moreover, the touch controllers feature much-enhanced haptics. This provides an added sense of the real world, particularly in apps that allow you to convert the controllers to make it act like a pen. Brushes in Painting VR, for example, employ a range of tremors and sensations to express the weight.
The entire experience is similar to HD Rumble on the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, but with improved force feedback fidelity. And the softly textured siliconized grips of the controller keep things secure even during the gaming hours.
5. Accessories And Charging
While Meta does not publish official battery life figures for the Quest Pro, we’ve found that depending on the use scenario; you can expect between two to three hours on full charge. This is often longer than you’d want to experience VR in a single session. But if you need to be hooked for lengthy periods, the Quest Pro comes with a six-foot charging cable to keep it going.
Other accouterments include a sturdy silicone case and two light blockers that magnetically connect to the sides of the headset, reducing any physical distractions. If you want the full VR-dive experience, you’ll have to buy Meta’s Full Light Blocker. Or you may go the low-tech route and relocate to a dim environment.
You also receive two Quest Pro controllers, two wristbands, and pen nibs that may be connected to the bottom of the controllers to meet specific needs. When it comes to charging the Quest Pro headset and controllers, there’s a rather convenient wireless charging port that accommodates both.
To be sure, finding the controllers to fit correctly in the dock is difficult at first. But the trick is holding them as though you’re about to use them before bending your arms inwards and dumping them on the pier.
If you completed everything correctly, you should hear a vibration and see the little indicator lights light up. There’s also a charging wire for the consoles, but you only receive one. If you’re on vacation with the Quest Pro and forget to bring the dock, you’ll have to recharge the controllers one at a time.
6. Apps And Performance
Of course, the true magic occurs when hardware meets software, and the Quest Pro delivers fairly astounding performance right out of the gate. The optics of the headset are excellent, with almost little evidence of the screen door impact. Furthermore, several tent-pole features, such as Meta’s scene awareness, work majority of the time.
You don’t have to continuously redraw the limits for your space guardian because the Meta Quest Pro is fairly effective at automatically recognizing the location of objects and walls. It even recognizes and recalls things like your desk in successive sessions, making it easy to build a virtual playing area. However, things don’t always go as well in more congested settings.
The full-color passthrough in the Quest Pro is also rather stunning. It’s not quite as good as the real-life experience you can have through your eyes, but it’s precise enough to enable you to move from one room to another to get a drink without taking the Quest Pro headset off.
The biggest problem with the Quest Pro is that there need to be more VR-appropriate apps that can stand at par with its enhanced capabilities. There is no support for social media tools like WhatsApp for classic 2D applications.
Things may feel detached if you don’t use Instagram or Facebook Messenger much. Perhaps more striking is how few applications are now available in the Quest Pro area of the marketplace.
7. Setting It Up
The setup process, which includes connecting the Quest Pro to your Meta account, is simple. Its headgear employs the same guardian system as the Quest 2, allowing you to create borders around a safe and open region to designate it as your virtual reality domain.
Moreover, the full-color passthrough Quest Pro’s lenses provide a color perspective of your VR space, which is a pleasant improvement. The only additional step in setting the Quest Pro over the Quest 2 is to enable face and eye tracking.
Face tracking is straightforward: if you allow it, the headset will monitor your facial emotions and duplicate them, including lip movements when speaking. Calibration for eye tracking involves seeing a ball travel across your field of view.
It’s a simple procedure; you may verify the calibration once the Quest Pro is done monitoring. We found it to be quick and usually accurate. However, there may be glitches in case of movement in the surroundings.
Providing A Glimpse Of The Future
Meta confirmed that the Quest 3 would cost the same as the Quest 2. It could be released in the near future with improved passthrough cams and pancake lenses similar to the Pro.
But how does the Quest Pro perform as a VR headset? One might consider it as a step forward, but other times it doesn’t feel different enough. What is this about as an augmented reality headset?
It’s difficult to say at this moment, given the restricted app collection that enables mixed reality experiences. Though there are hints of Meta’s virtual world future in this gadget, it now mimics a mixed reality development kit more than an upgraded VR headset.
Meta Quest Pro: Pros And Cons
Pros
- A better design and a more comfortable fit
- Innovative eye- and face-tracking technology
- Camera with color pass-through
- Headset and controllers are rechargeable
- Does not need a PC to function
- Excellent optics
- Six-foot long charging cable
- Built-in speakers with multidimensional sound
- Wireless charging dock is included
- Interior and external sophisticated sensors
Cons
- Extremely costly
- The metaverse of Meta Horizon is often vacant and occasionally buggy
- Battery life is limited
- Somewhat heavy
- There are currently few optimized applications
- In congested spaces, scene comprehension might get muddled
Final Words: Should You Buy Meta Quest Pro?
The Meta Quest Pro represents the most sophisticated standalone VR headset currently accessible to customers, and the “Pro” in its name isn’t just for show. Although Meta advertises it as a headset for fans and pros, its price tag favors the latter.
The display and overall headset design is better than the Quest 2. Moreover, the eye- and face-tracking technology has a lot of potential, but for your stare and emotions to matter, you need other users or VR games with gaze foveation to see the performance benefits.
As it is, the Quest Pro is a superior headset to the Quest 2, but no client-focused software takes full advantage of its improvements in meaningful ways. For the cost, the Quest 2 remains the best value for most people.
So, if you own a company and want to try out the new Quest Pro capabilities, there’s very little reason not to.
