Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, is spearheading the entire metaverse's development. He has invested Meta’s considerable resources into this.
With the Metaverse developing at an amazing pace, he hopes to keep the technology up to date with the metaverse concept.
Mark plans to release a next-generation VR headset to enhance the experience and make the metaverse more immersive. (1)
VR headsets and the metaverse
Technology for virtual reality is evolving so quickly that it is now much more than a toy.
A head-mounted device known as a virtual reality headset allows the user to experience virtual reality. Virtual reality (VR) headsets are popular for video games but are also used for simulators and training in other contexts.
They feature stereo sound, a stereoscopic head-mounted display that displays distinct images for each eye, and sensors that measure head motion. These sensors may be gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, or structured light systems.
Additionally, some VR headsets include game controllers and eye-tracking sensors[4]. The head-tracking technology used by the VR glasses alters the user's field of vision when they turn their head. The technology might not be flawless because if the head moves too quickly, there will be a delay. However, it does provide a fully immersive experience.
The idea of the metaverse primarily depends on users losing themselves in their activities. VR headsets are necessary to make such a notion possible since they give users a method to immerse themselves in the metaverse. (2)
Let's have a look at some of the most popular VR headsets.
Oculus Rift headset.
The Oculus Rift is one of the most attractive and pleasant devices you'll ever have to rest on your face. Before settling on the final design, the business produced close to 500 prototypes. In order to produce a fully immersive experience, it was important to design a light and comfortable headset for the user to forget it was on.
They were prosperous. Once it's been fitted to your face, it just weighs an inch and a half and is simple to put on and take off. The Oculus headgear has two 1200 x 1080 OLED displays, two pairs of lenses, several motion sensors, and built-in earbuds.
Oculus spent considerable time getting the device’s outward appearance right, but the view from inside is where it shines. The virtual world you step into is adjusted slightly, 90 times per second, depending on how you move, rotate, or tilt your head. It’s so smooth that your suspension of disbelief is almost instantaneous.
The cost of the actual device is $599. However, there's still more. To function, the Oculus needs a powerful gaming PC. If you don't already have one, you should be prepared to spend around $1,500 to buy what you need. That's a substantial expenditure to experience the metaverse, but it also relies on the user's level of interest in it. (3)
The Play Station VR
Sony Interactive Entertainment developed PlayStation VR (PS VR, also known as Project Morpheus during development) was made available in October 2016.
It is compatible with the PlayStation 5 home video game console and completely functional with the PlayStation 4.
The headgear unveiled at GDC'15 featured an OLED 1920 x 1080 display with an RGB subpixel grid and the ability to display material at 120 frames per second (fps). This resolution equates to 960 x 1080 pixels per eye.
It has a 100° field of view, 6DOF head tracking, stereoscopic 3D, and unwarped output to a TV. This allows users to compete using a conventional PS4 controller on a separate display or share what they see with others.
After the VR release, most publications' reviews were favorable; reviewers lauded the PS VR's availability, accessibility, and physical design. The PlayStation VR just needed a PS4 instead of rival headsets that need powerful PCs.
The system received the most criticism, with some remarking that although offering "near-PC-quality performance," the PS4 has less computing power than the high-end PCs needed to play "PCVR" games. (4)
Project Cambria - Zuckerberg’s new invention
The debut of Meta's subsequent VR headset in October was announced on a podcast on Thursday by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. However, this new headset is more likely to appeal to businessmen than gamers.
On the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast, comedian Joe Rogan and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had a nearly three-hour conversation on Meta, virtual martial arts, and other subjects. Rogan began the event by talking about his experience with a new VR headgear, which prompted Zuckerberg to say that Meta's new headset would go on sale in October.
Since Meta just increased the price of its flagship Quest 2 VR headset due to growing shipping and production costs, the item will likely cost at least $800.
According to Zuckerberg, more advanced eye- and facial-tracking features will be included in the next VR headset. He explained that because of these qualities, people's virtual avatars in virtual reality would be able to grin and grimace as well.
“There’s more nonverbal communication when people are with each other than verbal communication,”
Zuckerberg said.
Mark aspires to transform the Metaverse into a place where you can completely "express" yourself. He does this by referring to digital avatars that can be more visually appealing and participatory. (5)
As it promotes the idea of the metaverse as the next evolution in how humans interact with computers, Meta has been significantly investing in VR and its brother technology, augmented reality.
