We finally got a first look at what Meta has been working on with its Quest Pro VR headset, even though it may be through some unofficial channels. Thanks to an apparently forgetful hotel guest, we’ve laid eyes on leaked images and a video of the upcoming VR headset that Meta has been tightlipped about.
It’s probably a good call to exercise a little skepticism here, but the video and images largely match what we’ve been seeing with teasers and leaks about the Quest Pro VR headset. Either way, it’s nice to get a decent look.
First unboxing —
The leaks are fairly in-depth, with both an unboxing video and a couple photos. The media was originally published on Facebook by Ramiro Cardenas, who found the prototype in a hotel room.
The video was originally posted on Facebook, but has since circulated Twitter and Reddit, and the headset looks similar in design to the Quest 2.
From the images, you can see that the prototype says it’s “not for resale” and an “engineering sample.” It’s fair to assume that this won’t be the one that goes into production, but it looks pretty close to what a production model could look like. Cardenas also told The Verge that the hotel guest came back for the device.
All black everything —
The blacked-out design does give the Quest Pro VR headset a professional look, which could be what Meta is going for with this premium device. The lightweight, thin design could also set the bar for how future VR headsets are made, considering how hard Meta is pushing into VR and the metaverse.
Of course, this Quest Pro headset is still a huge gamble for Meta. It’s targeting a higher-end demographic — one that would also use the headset for work-related applications. The Quest Pro VR headset is probably going to be far more expensive than the Quest 2. It’s hard to say how well the premium headset will do, but a large part of the Quest 2’s success was its killer price point.
October release —
This rumored Quest Pro VR headset is coming out in October, as Mark Zuckerberg said on the Joe Rogan Experience last month. Other than that, there hasn’t been much official news from Meta.
It’s convenient that someone left a prototype of the Quest Pro VR headset when it’s so close to the expected announcement date. It’s not the first time that a prototype was accidentally discovered in the wild; take this Google Pixel watch leak for example.
Suspicious as we may be, it’s nice to finally get a decent look at what Meta has been cooking up for this highly-anticipated high-end VR headset. Now it’s just a few more weeks until we get to see the real deal.
