A Zoom call is convenient, sure, but it lacks a certain je ne sais quois that you can only get through in-person meetings…
…that’s why Meta is betting that companies will pay $1,500 for the company’s new Quest Pro virtual reality headset, in its push to bring the metaverse to the corporateverse.
What happened: The headset includes face sensors that help virtual avatars copy facial expressions like smiles or eye-rolls (though perhaps best to hide the latter from colleagues).
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Recent Quest Pro reviews note that the virtual reality (VR) technology is now good enough to make you feel like you’re actually interacting with other people.
- “One [meeting] in particular stands out to me,” wrote Stratechery’s Ben Thompson, adding that his complete memory of the meeting involves “being in that virtual room.”
Microsoft has signed on to a partnership that will bring its suite of enterprise products to Meta’s Quest Pro, which should make the VR hardware more useful for businesses.
Yes, but: The use cases for VR at work are still TBD since it’ll take companies adopting new processes (and buying a bunch of pricy headsets) as many push for a return-to-office.
- Other more specialized applications might be more interesting: architects, for example, could examine 3D renderings of their buildings together in VR.
Why it matters: Meta is at the forefront of building VR tech for the mass market, but its focus on building for large organizations suggests its adoption may begin in the workplace.