Last year, Meta released the $1500 VST headset Quest Pro, which is very different from Meta's Quest 2 and other products in terms of pricing and technical path, which is equipped with more high-end functions such as eye tracking and color VST, and after the product release, the outside world has mixed feedback. As the first product in the Pro product line, Quest Pro is mainly to promote the mixed reality ecosystem, and it is expected to optimize the experience through software updates in the later stage. Therefore, we can expect further upgrades to the Quest Pro during its lifetime. So, what is Meta's plan for this product? Looking ahead to the new year, what are Meta's new plans?
To understand these issues, Andrew Bosworth recently reviewed the launch of Quest Pro in an interview with L'Usine Digitale, and discussed the future development path, as well as Meta's expectations and competition.
LD: What was the market feedback on the Quest Pro after its launch? Is it meeting expectations?
AB: We're very happy with the Quest Pro, and the feedback on the hardware part has been quite positive. As promised, this headset is an easy-to-use, programmally enabled mixed reality headset, and I think it will have a wide impact in the future.
At the same time, many people pointed out that the software part of Quest Pro is still missing, so Meta cooperates with Microsoft, Accenture and other partners to incubate more and more content in the future. Just like the early days of Quest and Quest 2, Quest Pro will also optimize the experience through software updates.
LD: Meta eliminated the depth sensor on the Quest Pro final product, does that have an impact on features like automatic plane detection? Can it be compensated by a software solution?
AB: We think the Quest Pro's scene map scanning level is robust enough even without a depth sensor to be further enhanced with future software updates.
At present, Meta has repeatedly tested the scene scanning algorithm in the laboratory, and the Presence platform will be more powerful through user and developer testing in the future. Adding a depth sensor to a VR headset can indeed improve 3D scanning, but it adds cost and weight, so there is a trade-off. With Meta's efforts, developers don't have to worry about Quest Pro's hardware capabilities, and the scene scanning effect is good enough.
LD: I've been reporting problems with the Quest Pro microphone, how much do you know about that? Can this be fixed with a software update?
AB: This doesn't seem to be a widespread issue, so we're consulting with users who are experiencing this issue and want direct access to these devices to understand why they're behind it. Judging from the background reports, not many users have reported this problem. In short, if Quest Pro users encounter any problems, they can be solved through customer service channels. If the user allows us to debug on his device, we will be able to fix it later through software.
LD: Quest Pro didn't have a matching enterprise solution package when it first launched, will it be launched later?
AB: Meta has already started preparations for the Quest Pro Enterprise Suite, which is progressing well. We will introduce features required for enterprise scenarios such as device management, and will also integrate office collaboration software such as Workrooms.
The software developed by Meta and Microsoft may go live in the first half of 2023, but these software/services will be difficult to promote until Quest Pro is launched.
LD: What kind of VR applications will Meta and Microsoft launch for Windows 365?
AB: In the long term, Meta and Microsoft's goal is to provide cloud streaming services for VR, where users can experience the power of a laptop on a VR headset without having to stream a local PC. At present, Microsoft is already exploring Windows cloud computing technology, and Meta will also work together. In addition, Meta is also focusing on progressive web applications.
LD: Not long ago, Meta announced the Quest Pro local multiplayer VR online function, can this feature be used in offline VR games?
AB: The target scenarios of this function include consumption and entertainment, which is not limited to offline VR, but it can also provide better compatibility for offline VR development in the future. I think it's good that offline VR is a low-cost way for ordinary people to quickly learn about VR.
LD: The economy is unfavorable in 2022, will this affect Meta's investment in XR in 2023?
AB: In the face of the current state of the economy, Meta has indeed been affected. As a result, Meta is trying to improve efficiency, cutting some projects and focusing on core businesses like AR/VR. AR/VR is Meta's long-term vision, and despite the same impact of the recession, we will continue to develop quality products through greater efficiency and clear goals.
LD: Meta will launch Quest 3 next year, and will the follow-up product update cycle remain at three years?
AB: Meta's goal is to launch products at a certain pace, but in fact, when developing hardware, many directions are synchronized, some directions are realized, and some directions are not, so there is no fixed product development cycle. Meta doesn't release hardware that it doesn't believe in, so it won't rush to launch if the product isn't ideal. If the product develops faster than expected, we may also release a new product earlier.
Simply put, Meta has made a series of plans and estimated the release time, but this is not fixed. Theoretically, each of our product lines, prototypes, may grow in an arc, and if a product has a prospect of success, we will continue to invest, otherwise we will fall back to the next product.
LD: It seems that competition in the AR/VR market will increase significantly in 2023, how will Meta maintain its leading position?
AB: To be honest, competition came later than we expected, and Meta was already expecting competition, which is healthy for the market. Consumers should have more choice, and developers should have more application distribution platforms.
I think there are several priorities to staying competitive, starting with constantly pushing the envelope and providing more value to consumers than other companies. For example, VST mixed reality technology, gesture tracking technology, they are expensive and difficult to develop, and Meta has implemented these technologies, and the effect is ideal, which is one of our competitive advantages.
Meta has built a technical fortress and has invested heavily in it. In terms of AR/VR displays, the Meta's display has excellent uniformity correction, showing high clarity across the entire spectral range. In addition, the pixel utilization of the Meta display is also high enough, and the pixels in the corners of the screen and the distortion area of the lens are also well utilized.
When it comes to VR content, Meta has been maintaining and growing the Quest Store, a platform that has helped developers succeed and provides consumers with a wealth of great content. While developers may choose to publish VR content on multiple platforms in order to expand their revenue pathways, consumers quickly discovered that VR applications would debut earlier on the Quest platform because Quest had the most users. Moreover, VR apps work best on Quest devices, and I believe consumers can tell the difference in experience and quality between different VR headsets.
LD: What about PC VR streaming mode, which doesn't seem to be perfect, there is no simple one-click connection solution.
AB: PC VR games are still very important to Meta, and according to the Steam survey data, more than 40% of SteamVR-connected VR headsets are Quests. I think Quest is still the most common headset in the SteamVR ecosystem, and PC VR is still a key application of Quest, so we're very focused on the PC VR experience.
With the introduction of the USB Wi-Fi module, Meta aims to simplify the process of Quest streaming PC VR, but wireless streaming requires high speed, and only 60%-70% of people may have a high-quality network. If the internet speed isn't high enough, then you can choose to stream PC VR as wired, but Meta won't stand idly by, and we want to improve that experience.
Currently, Meta is working with some key vendors to integrate the same technology as WiFi modules into wireless network modules for computers. This is a big project to improve the VR experience when the network signal and environment are not ideal.
LD: Not long ago, Tim Sweeney, the boss of Epic Games, pointed out that VR wasn't suitable for Fortnite gameplay because the mobile experience was uncomfortable.
AB: Sweeney may not have kept track of VR gaming and therefore didn't know. For example, VR games like Population: One have proven that playing FPS games in VR has a good enough experience, and there are no difficulties such as uncomfortable mobile experience.
In Fortnite, game items are placed on the ground, while in Population:One, these items are placed forward or centered to reduce head movement, which is optimized for VR, and bringing 2D games to VR also needs to consider these changes.
Still, the value of changing games specifically for VR may not be high enough for large gaming companies, which may only have a few million users compared to the hundreds of millions of users of 2D games. When developers launch VR games will be entirely up to them.
LD: Can you explain how much of Reality Labs invests resources into the Horizon Worlds project? There seems to be a common misconception about this.
AB: Reality Labs has half of its resources going into AR development, but it hasn't launched a product yet. The other half went into VR, with most of it going to developing hardware, with Horizon Worlds making up a small fraction. For Meta, Horizon is just a software program, smaller than Facebook and Instagram.
In addition, the cost of developing Horizon is not large, because we manage the server ourselves, which saves a certain amount of money. There are quite a few people working on the Horizon project, but the team size is not particularly large. Overall, Horizon is probably the smallest of the projects Reality Labs invests.
LD: Obviously, developing an AR product that is popular with the masses is a challenge, what is Meta's current schedule for AR?
Meta's AR project schedule is changing at any time, and some technological breakthroughs may advance the schedule by 1-2 years during the research and development process, and may delay the project progress by 1-2 years if some studies fail. I think that after years of development, Meta is expected to launch AR in the form of glasses and full functions, but the exact timing is not yet certain.
In short, AR will undergo a long period of changes, at first its form may be a little bulky, running a little stuck, does not support all-day battery life, cannot be displayed outdoors, and the wearing experience is not comfortable enough. By 2030, I think AR will be more suitable for all-day wear and more functional.
LD: Before Meta's first AR glasses came out, could we see VR headsets like Mirror Lake first?
AB: Mirro Lake's progress is actually close to AR glasses because they reference similar research in terms of optics, etc. In fact, the relationship between AR and VR may be closer in the future, AR technology may improve VR, VR may also improve AR, which is a trend.
For example, VR faces many design challenges and trade-offs, and we all need to make trade-offs in terms of resolution, computing power, heat dissipation, field of view, weight, cost, ergonomics, functionality, etc., but the range of trade-offs is small. Traditional optical display technologies face such trade-offs, including Micro OLED, LCD, or Pancake, Fresnel lenses and so on.
Eye tracking and fixation rendering are expected to improve VR display and rendering efficiency, but optics, weight, and cost issues are still difficult to solve. Therefore, it is necessary to change the display technology used in VR, such as optical waveguides, LBS and other solutions. Reference: UD