Meta Connect 2024 is so close, you can almost taste it.
The social media giant will launch on Wednesday, September 25, and is expected to unveil hardware and software products to appeal to VR gamer enthusiasts, artificial intelligence enthusiasts, and smart glasses enthusiasts. But what exactly is Meta’s secret?
We have some speculation based on some credible reports.
Meta Connect 2024: What to expect
Last year, Meta Quest 3 was released in early June, but made its full reveal at Meta Connect 2023.
The headset has a sleeker, more comfortable design, as well as new AR features, making it more attractive than its predecessor. At Meta Connect 2024, the social media giant is expected to unveil a new VR headset again, but it won’t necessarily be an upgraded version of the Quest 3.
Meta Task 3S
There are rumors that Meta plans to launch a cheaper and more economical version of Quest 3 called “Quest 3S”.
Tweet may have been deleted
Whether intentional or not, as a Reddit poster discovered, Meta leaked the Quest 3S in its own Meta Quest Link PC app for Windows. For the uninitiated, the software allows users to connect a Meta-branded VR headset to a PC, allowing them to access more demanding devices simply by using a Quest Link cable (which helps users draw graphics power from the PC’s GPU) PCVR games.
The image appears to have the body of the Quest 2 (as it’s not as sleek as the Quest 3), but it has a different camera on the front.
According to leakers on X, the Quest 3S will have the following features:
Mix and match speed of light
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Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip
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Resolution 1,832 x 1,920 pixels per eye
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Up to 120Hz update rate
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Quest Touch Plus Controller
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4 infrared tracking cameras
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2 infrared illuminators for depth sensing
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2 x 4MP cameras for pass-through
In terms of price, Meta Quest 3S is reported to start at $299. For reference, the Quest 3 started at $499 when it launched last year, so if the reported pricing is accurate, you’re saving $200 by going with the Quest 3S.
AR smart glasses
Last year, Meta launched the second generation of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, equipped with Meta AI.
Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses
Photo credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable
According to reports, this time business insider, Meta is planning to launch a new pair of glasses that has nothing to do with Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The glasses, known internally as “Orion,” will focus on augmented reality (AR).
AR blends virtual elements into your real-life environment. Meta’s Quest 3 has AR capabilities. For example, it has a “pass-through mode” that allows you to see your real surroundings, but at the same time, you can choose to view or interact with virtual objects in the space.
Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, on the other hand, have zero AR capabilities. It can play music, take photos, capture videos, answer calls, and even let you chat with Meta AI. However, it doesn’t offer another dimension of enhancement – but Orion reportedly does.
meta-artificial intelligence
Meta AI can be found in countless Meta products, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and even Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
Credit: Yuan
Last year, Meta launched Instagram-based “Meta AI Personas,” chatbots that looked like celebrities, but that didn’t resonate with many people, including Mashable’s own AI reporter Cecily Mauran.
Based on Meta AI, these chatbots feature portraits of popular and well-known personalities (i.e. Padma Laksmi and Snoop Dogg), and also assume roles such as “creative writing partners” and “travel experts”.
This year, however, they were fired.
That doesn’t mean Meta AI won’t continue to receive attention during Connect 2024.
Meta Connect 2024 will be held on Wednesday, September 25 at 1 pm ET. You can watch it live on Facebook.
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