Let's be fair: the Vision Pro certainly struggles to justify its existence, but there is at least one thing that Apple's mixed reality headset does quite well — the device acts as a private movie theater with all the latest video refinements! 3D, HDR, high frame rate, 4K, maxi-wide (virtual) screen, it's all very simple, it feels like you're there. But to say that it's worth the €4,000 Apple is asking is a big step that would be unwise to take.
Immersive content to make a difference with the Vision Pro
Meta may have realized that there was a chance to play here. The group would be ready to invest millions of dollars in the production of content dedicated to a VR device, according to the Wall Street Journal. Disney and the A24 studio, currently very popular in Hollywood, have reportedly been approached to create episodic and immersive content "based on known IPs." Disney has no shortage of them, between Star Wars, Marvel, and its own universes, of course.
Meta is also reportedly working with James Cameron and his studio Lightstorm Entertainment on exclusive virtual reality content. The two companies announced a partnership last year. The exclusivity demanded by Meta would only be temporary: producers would have the option to sell their videos after a certain time, for example in 2D versions to streaming services. This flexibility would allow this content to reach a wider audience.
The device itself, codenamed "Loma," would be more powerful than current Quest headsets, with better screens. The design would resemble a large pair of glasses connected to a box that users could slip into a pocket. The device would cost less than $1,000: more than a Quest 3S, but much less than a Vision Pro.
This robot portrait is reminiscent of the “general public” XR glasses project that rumor has it will be released at the end of next year… and it’s also the launch window for “Loma.” So it could be the same product, or maybe not! Because Meta has no shortage of prototypes and ideas.
The social media giant has published information on the Aria Gen 2, the glasses that succeed the Gen 1 model launched in 2020. Intended for researchers in machine perception, contextual AI, and robotics, this device weighs only 74 grams. The mount integrates four computer vision cameras, two more than the previous generation, with an expanded field of view and a high dynamic range of 120 dB compared to 70 dB in Gen 1. Stereo overlap has been increased to 80° from 35° previously.
There is also a calibrated ambient light sensor with ultraviolet mode to distinguish between indoor and outdoor lighting, a contact microphone integrated into the nosepiece for a optimal audio capture even in noisy environments, and a photoplethysmography heart rate sensor. A custom coprocessor precisely tracks head movements (six degrees of freedom), combined with 3D eye tracking and hand tracking. Some elements of Aria could be found in more mainstream glasses.
Source: WSJ
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