The highly anticipated Meta Connect 2024 is a few days away. The annual developers’ conference will present the new VR and AR hardware alongside the company’s newest Llama large language model and image generator (in apps like WhatsApp). Meta Connect is also expected to showcase a bunch of developer tools that will catalyze the power of generative AI experiences.
That’s not the end. The most awaited products to show up at the conference will be the successor to the Meta Quest 3. And maybe there would also be updates to the ever coolest and smartest glasses Meta and Raybans. Speculation on updates to the Virtual Reality multiplayer game Horizon Worlds is also live. If we are lucky enough, we will also witness the rumoured “Orion” AR glasses.
Meta Connect 2024: What to expect?
We might be familiar with Meta Quest 2 VR headsets. The Quest 2 which is now at $200 drove the children and the adults crazy to let fly their creativities into the virtual spaces. Now, it is time for an upgrade with Meta Quest 3 coming to the limelight.
Meta Quest 3
Priced at $500, Meta Quest 3 proves to be a clear choice for the best VR headset. The headset is much slimmer compared to the Quest 2. The pancake optics make it comfortable to wear and give the headsets a better display resolution. Adding to the excitement, the Quest 3 comes with Touch Plus controllers, full-colour video passthrough and a growing app/game library.
- Price- $500
- Resolution- 2,064 x 2,208 pixels per eye
- Storage- 128GBRAM- 8GB
- Chipset- Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
- Battery life- 2.2 hours (rated)
- Size- 7.2 x 6.2 x 3.8 inches
- Weight- 1.1 pounds
A cheaper version called the Quest “3S” is also about to hit the floor. According to the leaks, the version might cost some $299.99. Besides, Meta also has a few new VR headsets in its store. This includes a new Quest 4 for 2026 and “La Jolla,” at the pro level designed for spatial computing internally. The latter is expected to be released by 2027. These models may or may not show up at the Connect because Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro is struggling to gain traction.
Meta Rayban
Even though they are just perfect, it’s high time that they get an update. The Connect may stage the futuristic Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The version we have now is clean and comfy. The smart pair responds to the commands with Meta AI. So, let’s expect fresh chatbot assistant experiences from the upgrade.
What else?
As mentioned, maybe the rumoured “Orion” will make an entry in the Connect. These are Meta’s new mixed-reality glasses. The Connect is also expected to showcase new software and experiences, including the future of games on Quest. So, this will set a vivid answer for the questions on what Meta is doing about the games. Some studios are shutting down like the Ready at Dawn game studio that made 3D games like Echo VR. Some are rolling in like the Wordle. And, to our surprise, Meta recently launched an app that lets you play console games on the headset through HDMI! Can’t wait to see what more Metaverse has in store for us.
When is Meta Connect 2024?
Meta’s Connect starts on Wednesday, September 25th, 2024 and ends the next day on Thursday, September 26th. The conference will begin with the Connect keynote at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT. The keynote by Mark Zuckerberg will be followed immediately by a developer keynote at 2 PM ET / 11 AM PT. To know more, visit the full program schedule on the Connect site.
How to watch Meta Connect 2024?
The Meta Connect will be streamed live on the official Meta Connect website. The Quest headset users can watch it on Horizon Worlds. You can also participate in live developer sessions for deep dives on AI and mixed reality on Facebook.
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