Meta’s Project Cambria VR Headset will Launch in October

Will Meta’s Project Cambria become the future of VR headsets? Here is the crucial information you need to know about the metaverse device previously called the “Oculus Quest Pro.” 

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced a tentative schedule for the company’s next VR headset. Zuckerberg said on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that the device is coming at the Connect conference of Meta next month. He also said the notable feature of the latest headset is tracking your facial expressions and using them on your virtual avatar. He also explained that this project aims to use VR as the ultimate expression of technology connecting people. For example, it could facilitate eye contact within VR.

“When you are on a video call, you don’t feel like you’re there with the person. What virtual reality unlocks is that it convinces your brain that you’re there.” – Mark Zuckerberg.

These features matched previous speculations about Project Cambria, a VR headset project Zuckerberg discussed vaguely at Meta Connect in 2021. Recently, Bloomberg ran a story saying that the headset will be called the Meta Quest Pro.

Codename: Project Cambria

The upcoming high-end virtual and augmented reality headset will be called the Meta Quest Pro, based on the code findings inside the company’s iPhone app for setting up headsets. Meta has been promoting its new device under the codename Project Cambria since last year. The company will likely announce the official name in the latter part of 2022, together with details about the VR headset. Allegedly, it would cost more than $1,000, according to an insider.

The device is a priority project of Meta Platform, Inc. The tech giant recently scaled back other hardware projects such as a smartwatch and will be a prime competitor to Apple Inc.’s upcoming mixed-reality headset when it sells next year. 

The new Meta headset will have far better graphics processing and power compared with the regular Meta Quest headset. It will also include external high-resolution cameras to simulate AR in color, eye tracking, more storage, new controllers, and high-resolution displays for virtual reality.

Whether it is called Project Cambria, Meta Quest Pro, or whatever, it’s expected to be priced as a high-end device.

Several months ago, some industry analysts projected that Meta wouldn’t be able to sustain its practice of selling headsets, especially with a major competitor like Apple planning to saturate the market. So, while we’re not sure much this new headset will cost, we can guess it would be pricier than the Quest 2 at either its old or new price.

Confidentially on Project Cambria’s Price and Release Date 

Despite the secrecy, we know a fair amount about its release date and price amidst Meta’s Project Cambria. Meta Connect 2022 is slated on October 11, 2022. We are almost sure it will be the date the Quest Pro is finally launched to the public. 

Regarding pricing, a leaked internal Meta road map published by The Information estimates that Project Cambria will cost $799. But, with the price hike on Oculus Quest 2, the Quest Pro’s price may also increase. Meta attributed higher production costs to the Quest 2’s higher price. That said, it would be surprising if they weren’t Project Cambia. So don’t be shocked if this new toy costs $999 the moment when it’s officially unveiled.