Like many people, I have watched the development of graphics and the technology over the years that have enabled VR's eventual birth. I've seen the rise of home computing, with Microsoft and Apple, Intel, AMD, Nvidia. This has moved in tandem with our dependence on mobile phones from the Nokia 3310 being just about phone calls, to the iPhone 14 being your entire digital life as you know it, in your back pocket. With the tech getting smaller, better and lighter over the last 30 years the idea of wearable tech has increased. The first VR headset was huge and cumbersome, while the tech used to make it work, was too clunky and slow.
Eventually it failed, but it has always remained a sci-fi cyberpunk fantasy with books like Neuromancer and Snow Crash, films like The Lawnmower Man, Hackers and most notably, The Matrix series.
So it's safe to say, I've followed the whole Palmer Lucky adventure in the early days with his Kickstarter of the Oculus Rift, which poured life back into the VR dream, before Facebook bought his company for $2bn. Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook then went on to make commercial virtual reality, a reality.
I even shamelessly bought a PlayStation 4 just because I knew they were going to release their VR headset later on; I wasn't disappointed at all, it was amazing!
Having the PSVR stopped me getting the Oculus Rift when that was finally realised. However the PSVR died just in time for me to get the Quest 2. This I got just before the first Covid lockdown, I think. I absolutely loved the Quest 2. So much so in fact I also bought one for my wife. I loved that it was fairly cheap (considering the tech involved), I loved that it was untethered (unlike the PSVR), I loved the 3D surround sound, the graphics and the games. My wife even loves it! But I'm always aware change is coming, and like most people who are following the growth of VR, I knew about Meta's project Cambria. Facebook's ultra secret VR headset. Well, now it's here.
So what do we think?
From what I've seen, people love it, although the price... not so much.
It's expensive. Very expensive. But that doesn't bother me too much, although it has priced me out of getting one which is annoying. But never mind that, you see I'm all about the long game. I want Virtual Reality to work. That's my ultimate goal. I am a fan and I can see its potential a mile away. I use it to play golf, kill zombies, watch films and T.V, I've even used it for work. This will get better and more accessible. So I say, let those that want to spend their money on the latest version I resentfully can't afford, and if I did, I'd never be able to justify the expense to my wife 😂 But I know this tech will be coming to the Quest 3 or 4 later in time. It's inevitable, and I can wait!
So what do I think?
As for looks, the Quest Pro is black with a very sleek and shiny design, making it look like the Sports version of the Quest range. My only concern is that the head strap may break. I have gone through two Quest Elite straps and have replaced them with Kiwi head straps which are cheaper and far better in my opinion. So I'll be interested in what people have to say about that later on when YouTube fills up with personal reviews. They will not be happy if their $1500 headset crashes to the floor suddenly.
The thinner lenses or, "Pancake lenses" do make the front of the device look more like an eye mask when compared to the bulkier Quest 2, so I'm liking the fact that it will seem smaller and lighter. These lenses have also increased the field of view which is something that bothers me a little bit about the Quest 2's 89°. They feel like I'm looking at the world through swimming goggles. The Quest Pro however, boasts a 106° field of view, which should be much better. For more reference, the PSVR 2 will have 110°. This matters to me for immersion. So the less I feel like I'm viewing things through a gas mask and more like through my own eyes, the less distracted I'll be and the more I'll believe I'm somewhere else.
Now I'm not going to get anymore technical on this, because, frankly, I'm no expert and many other people have already done it better. I'll link the Tested review at the end, because it's great and I trust them to be honest.
I really hope that Facebook get this right, personally I think they are on the right path. I want VR to be massive. I want it to bring people together and to give everyone another way of communicating and working. Imagine if this was commonplace during lockdowns. It's not for everyone, I get that. But I can see that it's an emerging tech and that's only at the beginning, like where mobile phones were 30 years ago, or the PC 40 years ago. Facebook have the money and the vision, and seem willing to be adaptable to what the public want. This combination gives me a lot of hope for what will come in the next 10 to 20 years. Currently with the Quest 2, I feel like I have my very own Holodeck from Star Trek.
…If this is what I think now, and we're only at the beginning, what on Earth will it be like in the future for my grandkids? Needless to say, I'm very excited see what's coming!
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