The Meta Quest Pro has been on sale since October 25 and the leaks previous announcements have not been contradicted by the official characteristics of the helmet which were presented to us during the Connect 2022 (see our live). It seems useful to us, before giving you our impressions in our complete test, to offer you a file on the beast.
Remember, current standalone headsets (Quest 2, PICO 4, VIVE Focus 3, Lynx R1) work with the same chip : the Snapdragon XR2 Gen1 of Qualcomm. And as for the Meta Quest Pro, it’s the XR2+ (understand by this a slight improvement of the chip). Rest assured, the differences remain significant : if the RAM of the XR2 is usually on top of the chip, that of the Quest Pro is located on the side, which allows it to obtain better cooling and more sustained or sustainable long-term performance.
The Meta Quest Pro did not hesitate to proudly display its 12 GB of RAMwhich buries many helmets on this point, the PICO 4 and the VIVE Focus 3 to start with their 8 GB and the Quest 2 with its 6 GB.
But what is RAM actually used for? Think of it as a shelf, and your books as the programs you launch: the bigger your shelf, the more books you can store, and well the bigger your RAM, the more programs you can run. Attention, just because it’s high doesn’t mean you can launch multiple apps or features at the same time ! The processor must be powerful enough to allow it, in the same way that a casual reader will not be able to read several books at the same time (or more slowly).
However, it is far too early to declare victory, it is still necessary to remember it, but the Meta Quest Pro carries with it many more technologies than previous helmets, and these will have to be supported and calculated by the XR2. To obtain real leaps forward, it will be necessary to resort to applications or games that do not take advantage of the new technologies that we present to you. further in this guide.
Finally some lenses pancakes ! Since theOculus Go, all of the headsets used the same Fresnel lenses, you know, the ones that give you a slight blur and light halo effect in dark scenes. Well, with the Meta Quest Pro, It’s from the past. Already used on the PICO 4, these lenses take up less space, are thinner and lighter and even boast, compared to a certain Meta Quest 2, 25% better sharpness in the center and 50% better on the edges.
The level of FOV (field of vision), we still gain 10° horizontally (106° against 96° for the Quest 2), but we keep the same value vertically (96°). Of course, the values displayed will depend on the adjustment corresponding to the separation of the lenses. As for the refresh level, it can go up to 90 Hzagainst 120 Hz for the Meta Quest 2. Rest assured, the number of applications that can claim to be stable at this frequency are not legion.
A very important point which has been the subject of much debate, the definition of the new professional helmet of Meta : this one does have a definition of 1800×1920 pixels against 3664×1920 on the Quest 2, except that the first has two Mini LED panels and the second a single LCD. Understand by this that it is necessary to double the number of pixels of the Meta Quest Pro to know its true definition: 3600×3840 pixels.
Regarding the quality of the slab, Mini LED obliges, the color range is 30% wider than a Quest 2 and the level of contrast takes a real leap forward with +75% improvements compared to the previous helmet. In other words, the new product of Meta is able to represent colors more faithfully, moreover in terms of variations and other nuances. And if you liked the OLED panel of the Quest 1 and its deep blacks, then you will love that of the Meta Quest Pro.
Question IPD (interpupillary distance), the Meta Quest Pro picks up the strength of Quest first name, continuous adjustment and not by predefined grades. We were confined on the old helmet to this slice: from 58 mm to 68 mm (with 63 mm in between), the Meta Quest Pro ranges from 55mm to 75mmwhich means this one will be much more visually pleasing, because adapting to more morphologies.
In terms of accessories, the blinkers provided with the helmet will allow you to hide the light, but not completelyt. In effect, you will have to pay €49.99 and wait until November 20 to get the ones that allow you to use your mixed reality headset like a real headset VRthus blocking out all light.
The Meta Quest Pro features eye tracking (Eye Tracking) and face (Face Tracking). Well aware that the avatars used must appear “credible”, if only to allow this famous feeling of presence, Meta couldn’t miss it, what’s more in the professional world.
The two combined technologies will allow you to transcribe your expressions in real time and give a more human aspect to your interactions. As for theEye Trackinglike what is done on PSVR 2the technology can be used to put in high definition the regions where your gaze pointsand vice versa, thus making it possible tosave valuable resources… well almost ! The chairman of the department VR/ARAndrew Bosworth, points out that eye-tracking technology is so resource-intensive that optimizing foveal rendering is only minor.
Face tracking uses 3 cameras, one for the top of the face, two for the bottom. In theory, this should allow more faithful face tracking than for the VIVE Focus 3, which only has one camera. If the term Meta and confidentiality in the same sentence trigger in many of us a giggle that is difficult to control, be aware that it will however be possible and at any time to deactivate eye and face tracking.
What is immediately striking about the Meta Quest Pro is the quality of the pass-through (external camera). Remember, that of Meta Quest 2 is black and white, and distorted. That of the Meta Quest Pro will not only allow you to appreciate the color, but also the distances via its depth sensor. Thus, you can therefore read the messages on your phone or quietly drink your cup of coffee.