(Bloomberg) — Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook Inc., previewed a high-end headset codenamed “Project Cambria” that it expects to release next year as part of its push to make virtual and augmented reality more appealing.
The device has new sensors, improved displays and optics, as well as refined augmented reality capabilities, the company said Thursday at its Connect conference. The sensors will let people create more realistic avatars, the virtual representation of users. And the so-called passthrough mode, which lets users see the real world through the goggles, will be in color as opposed to black and white.
Meta is betting that AR and VR can help create a metaverse for users — a virtual space where people can work, play and exercise. The corporate name change, also announced Thursday, is part of that effort.
The company didn’t provide an official product name for the Cambria device, but said it would be pricier than its existing headsets. Meta also reiterated that it is working on full augmented reality glasses. It showed a demonstration of how the glasses could be used for gaming and communications.
Read more: Other announcements from the Connect conference
The new headset will be an upscale offering that sits above the Quest 2 in the company’s product lineup. Over the past couple of years, Facebook pared down its headset line, discontinuing a low-end Oculus Go and a higher-end Oculus that required a PC connection. With the new headset, the company is again expanding its portfolio, but the new model doesn’t require a link to a desktop computer.
At its Connect conference, the company also previewed new tools for developers to build mixed reality apps, and features for working and communicating in virtual reality environments. It also announced a slew of games in development for Oculus headsets, including Grand Theft Auto.
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