Meta Connect 2024: Orion glasses, Quest 3S headset, Meta AI upgrades, Ray-Ban Meta real-time video, and more revealed.
Meta Connect 2024, a developer-centric event, kicked off with a keynote from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, showcasing new hardware and software aimed at supporting two of Meta’s major ambitions: AI and the metaverse. The event highlighted several significant announcements, including the unveiling of Meta’s Orion Holographic Glasses, which are touted as the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen.
Orion, a fully AR glasses prototype, is designed to eventually become Meta’s first consumer full holographic AR glasses. The glasses feature light weight, compatibility for hand-tracking and eye-tracking, and most ambitiously, a neural interface. Early testers, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, were impressed by the technology. While Orion is not yet ready for consumer release, it represents the future of Meta’s AR efforts.
Another major reveal was the launch of the Meta Quest 3S headset, a less expensive alternative to the Quest 3. The Quest 3S starts at $299 for a 128GB version and $399 for a 256GB version. It is entirely wireless and compatible with the existing library of Quest apps and games. Meta emphasized its mixed-reality features, which set it apart from other headsets. The Quest 3S will be available on October 15, and the Quest 3 will drop from $649 to $499 following its release.
Meta also announced the discontinuation of the Quest 2 and Quest Pro headsets. Sales of these models will continue until they are sold out or until the end of the year, whichever comes first.
In addition to hardware updates, Meta showcased upgrades to its Llama AI model. The company is pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities, aiming to integrate more advanced AI features into its products.
Ray-Ban’s Meta smart glasses are also receiving significant upgrades. The new features include real-time AI video processing, allowing users to ask the glasses questions about what they see in front of them. The glasses will also receive a smartphone-like reminder feature, live language translation between English, French, Italian, and Spanish, and full integration with music streaming apps like Amazon Music, Audible, and iHeart Radio.
Meta Connect 2024 also highlighted the importance of building ties with its community of developers. The company released new support for Android apps on the Quest, along with support for 3D and spatial apps. This move aims to expand the Quest app store’s offerings and encourage more developers to contribute to the ecosystem.
Several new experiences were revealed for the Quest ecosystem, including the launch of Batman: Arkham Shadow on October 22. This game will be bundled with new Quest 3 and 3S purchases until April of next year. Other notable game announcements include Alien: Rogue Incursion and a remake of the zombie game Arizona Sunshine. Even the popular daily puzzle game Wordle is coming to the Quest platform, available to play for free without a New York Times subscription.
Overall, Meta Connect 2024 demonstrated Meta’s commitment to advancing both hardware and software in the metaverse, with a focus on AI integration and developer support. These announcements mark significant steps towards creating immersive and interactive experiences that will shape the future of virtual reality and augmented reality.
source:https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/26/meta-connect-2024-orion-glasses-quest-3s-headset-meta-ai-upgrades-ray-ban-meta-real-time-video-and-more-revealed/
