Meta Quest Pro is the first and new mixed reality headset from Meta. This headset is going to be the higher end, with more productivity, creativity, gaming, and entertainment focus.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, has recently announced at Meta’s Connect conference that Meta Quest Pro is going to be available on 25th October 2022. You have to expend $1499 for 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage version. It sounds a little bit expensive.
This expensive VR headset from meta is featured full-color mixed reality, eye tracking, and Natural Facial Expression. That means you can now explore and unlock much more immersive VR gaming experiences like never before.
The Quest Pro headset is more premium, comfortable to wear, and increased pixel density. When it comes to pixel density, the Quest Pro is 37% pixel per inch and 10% greater pixel per degree than the quest 2. That thing has made everything from reading text to playing games more immersive.
In addition, this headset is more balanced in weight, 40% thinner, and sharper in visuals compared to Quest 2. It has got all new technologies like next-generation pancake optics. In one word, you will experience the world in a new way through the Meta Quest Pro.
The best selling point of this advanced VR device is full-color passthrough technology and new innovative controllers. On Meta Quest 2, you have experienced the outside world in black and white with the passthrough. But on Quest Pro, you can experience the physical world in full color because of stereoscopic mixed reality passthrough.
Using the Arkio and Gravity Sketch, You can even create detailed 3d in real-time. Overall, Meta Quest Pro is worth buying in terms of next-level gaming and multitasking performance.
The VR revolution is underway. We’ve designed an all-new headset packed with advanced tech and geared for productivity, creative work and collaboration. This is Meta Quest Pro, available 10.25. Pre-order today. https://t.co/YaFHvwYHlG pic.twitter.com/cBagf0TSGp
— Meta Quest (@MetaQuestVR) October 11, 2022
What’s new on Quest Pro? The Innovative Hardware and Software Details
The things that make the Meta Quest Pro so solid and unique from other predecessors are the new hardware and software. Unlike the Oculus Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro can provide you with high-level gaming performance because of its hardware and software.
I will walk you through all the new features that make the Meta Quest Pro more advanced than other VR headsets.
Note: Meta Quest Pro supports all apps and games that are available on the Oculus Quest 2.
The Powerful Processor
Meta Quest Pro is packed with a powerful processor Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 plus which is only optimized for this VR headset. It is good to know that the XR2 plus is 50% more powerful than the meta quest 2 processor (XR2). Because of the XR2 plus, you get a better thermal dissipation experience while gaming.
The lens/ Display
All we know is that VR is all about visuals. Meta has replaced the fresnel lens (Quest 2) within the pancake optical lens for the Meta Quest Pro. The Pancake Optics allows the headset to be reduced in depth by 40% compared to Oculus Quest 2. Because of this, the headset provides us with clearer and sharper visuals.
The displays in the Quest Pro are still LCD with mechanical IPD adjustment. When it comes to IPD, the IPD of Quest Pro is between 55mm and 78mm which is more significant than Quest 2.
You may have concerns that the display panels are LCD and they may be inferior to OLED in terms of contrast. I think you don’t have to think about that. There is a new LED array backlight that allows the device delivers better contrast.
The two LCD displays have got Local Dimming and Quantum Dot technology. The Quantum Dot technology provides richer and more vibrant colors.
On the other hand, the Local dimming technology can control 500 LED blocks independently. This technology provides the display with 75% more contrast than Oculus Quest 2. The display also runs at 72 Hz although there is a 90 Hz option.
Camera and Tracking
The fundamental difference between Meta Quest pro and Quest 2 is the camera. You will find a bunch of cameras in quest pro for slam tracking and inside-out tracking.
Meta has provided all new sensor architecture with high-resolution outward-facing cameras. The satisfactory thing is these cameras can capture 4 times the pixels than Quest 2.
On the outside, there are five high-resolution cameras. Two cameras are for slam tracking and three cameras alongside the nose bridge work as inside-out tracking.
There are also 5 cameras inside. Three cameras on the top for eye tracking. Interestingly each camera has a 72 Hz refresh rate. At the bottom, there are two cameras for whole-face movement tracking.
To be honest, the tracking works absolutely great and is very fast and responsive.
The FOV with a wider sweet spot
Meta has not said about the dimensions and physical size of LCD panel detail. It has been a rumor online.
But the Meta Quest Pro LCD-LED panel has got 500 points of local dimming technology with a resolution of 1800 by 1900 pixels per eye. Where 106 horizontal and 96-degree vertical.
In terms of FOV, is not a wide FOV like HP Reverb G2. But it is more meaningful about clarity in the optics and new pancake lenses. This allows me to see a wider sweet spot across the FOV. I could see my hand movement clearly. That’s why I experience less distortion visually in the outside and inside periphery of vision.
Meta says that Quest Pro is a 25% improvement in FOV, 50% peripheral region, and 1.3 times larger color gamut than quest 2.
The controllers are better and compatible with Quest 2!!!
The controllers are very different fundamentally from Oculus Rift, Quest one, and 2. Because they are being tracked by themselves that means the controllers don’t have to depend on the headset cameras.
On Oculus, the previous controllers were dependent on the headset cameras. But the Quest Pro controller does its own slam tracking.
There are three cameras for each controller controlled by Qualcomm snapdragon. That feature gives you a 360-degree range of motion and a stable controller tracking experience. There has been a complaint about the controller with the previous model. Now it seems that the issue is solved with the new innovative controller’s productivity.
One interesting thing is you can use the controller as a marker or painter by flipping it upside down and pressing it on to surface. Meta also announces the pro controller is backward compatible with the Quest 2 headset. I like Meta’s idea that they do not want to split the audience much from this mixed reality headset.
The Battery and its backup time
The battery of Meta Quest Pro is rechargeable and can back up for around two hours. The best thing that is done by Meta is they have moved the battery on the back. I love the thing and also believe that because of that feature Meta Quest Pro got a perfect balance.
The interesting part is you don’t have to use a USB connection to charge the battery. Because you can recharge the battery with the magnetic charger dock. For the headset, you are going to get a 45W USB-C power adapter too.
In my test, the battery life disappoints me. Compared to Oculus Quest 2, Quest Pro’s battery life (1.5 -2 hours) was a little bit behind.
More Natural Facial Expression Technology
Meta Quest Pro surprises us by bringing more eye-tracking and facial-tracking features. Because of that feature avatars look more natural in the metaverse. It reflects you more naturally while you are online with your friends.
Meta has done a great job by bringing natural facial expression technology. We all experienced a bad avatar in the previous Oculus Quest headset. And we also expect to have a great and more natural-like look avatar from any VR headset. Meta Quest Pro is one step ahead in this field. The thing that I love here is the eye tracking and facial expression are off by default.
Can you play games on Meta Quest Pro?
Meta Quest Pro is better than the predecessors of Oculus in terms of hardware, software, and unique balanced design. So, you can play all VR games in high resolution and experience them in a new way through the crisper display.
Negative Side
The negative parts also can not be avoided in Meta Quest Pro. I found a couple of negative things in this VR and MR headset. One of the most significant downsides of the Quest Pro is there is a pretty substantial light leak while I was active. Because there is no full gasket that pushes against your face on the side or cheeks.
Don’t worry about that issue. The Meta Quest Pro headset comes with magnetically attached light blockers that act as blinders.
Another downside of this headset is battery backup time. For this budget, the battery could run some more time.
Meta Quest Pro is official — our first headset in a new high-end product line that we built with all-new advanced technologies to unlock new and exciting abilities for VR and beyond pic.twitter.com/XKd3oixmm2
— Boz (@boztank) October 11, 2022
Meta Quest Pro is the sequel of Oculus Quest 2?
Meta Quest Pro is not a sequel to Oculus Quest 2. I mean the Quest Pro is not Quest 3. Mark Zukerberg clearly said at the Meta’s Connect conference that Oculus Quest 3 will not be available this year. But he hinted about the Quest 3 price will be around $300-$400.
Meta Quest Pro vs Oculus Quest 2: Find Your Best VR headset
Although Meta Quest Pro shares similar design attributes, Meta has brought some revolutionary changes in hardware and software. Now Meta Quest Pro has got all high-end and advanced technology.
Let’s check out the differences between these two VR headsets through a table presentation.
| Components | Oculus Quest 2 | Meta Quest Pro |
| Device Type | Virtual Reality | Mixed Reality |
| Multitasking capability | No | Yes |
| Controllers | Touch Controller | Self tracking controller(360 degrees) |
| Chipset | Snap Dragon XR2 | Snap Dragon XR2 Plus( 50% more powerful than Quest 2) |
| Weight | 503g | 722g |
| Storage | 6GB RAM, 128 GB storage | 12 GB RAM, 256 GB |
| Passthrough sensor | Black and white | Full-color |
| Display | RGB LCD | LCD with 500 points of LED arrays |
| Optics | Fresnel Optics | Pancake Optics |
| Camera | 4 Infrared cameras | 10 high res-camera |
| Battery | 2-3 hours | 1.5 – 2 hours (battery is on the back) |
| Charging Type | USB-C cable | Magnetic charging doc and USB-C |
Our Observation
Meta has designed the Quest Pro for both VR and MR. I have got the chance of testing the headset for about 2 hours at Meta’s Research Lab. From that point of view, I can say that Meta Quest Pro is going to be great for those who want to do multifunction. Because I got a unique gaming performance, ergonomics comfort, and great experience with other parts of the headset.
Overall, I am satisfied with the Meta Quest Pro. But the price can affect someone, especially who are satisfied with Quest 2 and to think about an upgrade. On the other hand, the applications shared in the Quest Pro are the same fundamentally. That reason might not inspire them not to go after an upgrade to Quest Pro.
Now if you care about the all-new and powerful software and hardware features, you can go after the Meta Quest Pro.