Meta Connect, i the biggest developer event and hardware show from the company that uses Facebook and Instagram, starts today. Meta is likely to show off its new VR and mixed reality technology, put a shiny polish on its animated ambitions, and delve into all the new ways it plans to squeeze artificial intelligence into all its devices and services.
The event takes place today, Wednesday, September 25, starting at 10 a.m. Pacific time. The talk of the day, where many new things will be announced, will be broadcast live. The host of the event will be Meta CEO and cool guy Mark Zuckerberg. Zuck’s hour-long presentation will be followed by a developer-focused address at 11 a.m. led by Meta CTO and CEO of Reality Labs Andrew Bosworth. You can watch the events on the Meta Connect website or on the Meta YouTube channel. And yes, you can also watch it in VR on Meta Horizon.
The focus of the event is likely to be the integration of Meta’s mixed reality efforts and its AI ambitions across its product line. As with any tech event, there are bound to be surprises. Here are the main things to look out for.
Blurred MetaVision
One thing the Meta won’t announce is an expensive VR headset. It’s a move informed by where the hybrid device market is right now—and whether people want to spend big to buy one. Instead, rumors abound about the so-called Meta Quest 3S, a headset that could be a cheaper version. of Meta Quest 3 with simple features.
Meta was a giant in the AR/VR space 10 years ago when Meta (then Facebook) bought VR company Oculus. Soon after, Facebook changed its name to Meta and sunk $45 billion into its vision of a digital universe that most people seem to ignore. Workplaces aren’t using Meta’s Horizon Workrooms as much—we’re all on Zoom—and despite early signs of seizing the expensive corporate world of digital real estate, users aren’t really willing to go through the motions.
Some companies have struggled to find their visual footing. Apple released its first mixed reality headset, the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro, in February. Since then, the product has been considered a rare misstep by the company, or at least very clearly a first-generation product not aimed at the masses. The device didn’t sell very well and was widely criticized for being too expensive, heavy, and lonely. (Apple mentioned Vision Pro only once, later, at an expected iPhone announcement event on September 9.)
If the Vision Pro’s, yes, vision was improved, the Meta might be more inclined to pursue the premium class of VR headsets. In August, Information reported that Meta appeared to have abandoned—or at least delayed—plans to release an update to its Oculus Quest Pro that would have gone into the ring against Apple’s Vision Pro. Bosworth, Meta’s CTO, responded to the news on Meta’s Threads platform and emphasized that the move is not that big of a deal, but a natural part of the company’s device iteration. Still, it’s a logical move after the Apple Vision Pro came out.
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