Meta Connect ’24: Industry Experts Discuss Quest 3S, AR Smart Glasses, and Reality Labs R&D
Meta Connect is coming. Mark Zuckerberg’s company is generating excitement, and the audience is expecting a big announcement at the September 28 event, which captivates the mainstream audience every year.
XR Today spoke to the following people to find out more about the upcoming Connect 2024 event and what they’re announcing: Frank Furnari, CEO and founder of ARuVR.
ARuVR is an enterprise platform that enables the creation and distribution of immersive training content at scale, enabling you to create and manage customized workplace services without writing a single line of code.
Furnari noted that while the ARuVR platform is hardware-independent, the company “does a lot of work with Meta.” Drawing on that experience, Furnari explored potential updates that audiences could experience at Connect 2024.
Quest 3S prediction
Furnari explained that Meta already has several mid- to high-end MR devices, such as the original Quest 3 or Quest Pro, that are “very powerful and feature-rich.” However, he noted that some users may not be taking full advantage of all the features and specs, leaving room for a sleek, entry-level MR headset.
“We all know that in some cases, current devices are too advanced. It’s like giving a novice driver a Ferrari,” Furnari said. The upcoming Quest 3S is intended for “not just novice XR adopters in enterprise organizations, but also the average consumer.”
Furnari added:
“The goal is to solve several key industry challenges for enterprises and consumers, such as affordability and accessibility. Meta is bringing advanced XR technologies to a wider audience by offering a more affordable XR headset. This can help bridge the gap between high-end devices and mainstream, low-end devices.”
Meta aims to follow the success of Quest 2 in bringing VR into the mainstream conversation by launching an accessible MR device aimed at consumers.
MR has not lived up to the success of consumer VR, and there are a number of reasons for this: low price, accessibility, lack of content to sell the system, and specific use cases.
From a consumer standpoint, Furnari predicts that Meta will see much higher engagement with the Quest 3S, “because a lower-cost device can drive much more mainstream adoption by enhancing use cases like gaming, entertainment, and social experiences.”
The consumer adoption angle remains essential to the enterprise MR headset market, with Furnari noting that consumer-grade content creation and community ecosystems will enable adoption at “massive scale.”
On the corporate side, Furnari said:
“For enterprises, cost-effective XR devices can facilitate large-scale deployments across multiple use cases, such as education or remote collaboration, without the large investments typically required for high-end devices.”
Furnari also said the upcoming Quest 3S device will “democratize XR technology across enterprise and consumer markets.”
What’s in Meta’s next-generation smart glasses?
Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth He said the upcoming AR smart glasses were “groundbreaking”.
Meta Ray Ban Stories’ portfolio of lightweight AR smart glasses recently surpassed recent sales expectations, leading Meta to buy a 5% stake in parent company EssilorLuxottica and enter into a multi-generational agreement to further develop the product.
“We all know that the Meta Ray Ban smart glasses were more successful than we expected,” Furnari said, explaining that combining that previous sales success with the upcoming high-fidelity AR technology and advanced AI engine will result in a compelling new device.
But Furnari doubled down on the importance of Meta AI in the AR smart glasses roadmap. “AI is the missing technology that AR glasses are waiting for,” Furnari said.
AI integration will make smart glasses navigation much more accessible. Furnari explained that alternative methods such as voice or hand tracking will flourish thanks to the AI framework.
Furnari added:
If such devices were equipped with AI engines, they would become much more convenient to use, and thus their use cases and scope of application would expand much further than they do today.
Despite the lack of specifics about the Connect AR smart glasses, Furnari said that the combination of “high-end AR technology, AI engine, and design makes these devices have a bright future.”
Importance of XR R&D through Major Technology Suppliers
As long as Zuckerberg continues to invest money, Meta Connect 2024 will remain a notable event in the XR industry.
As the Meta CEO is one of the richest people on the planet, his immersive space race is more focused on delivering consumer XR devices, but in his quest to climb to the top of Forbes’ list of the richest people, Zuckerberg is banking on the ubiquity of XR.
So the importance of Meta Connect is huge. To enter the enterprise and consumer markets with ubiquitous XR products, the company needs to stay at the forefront of the R&D race and deliver devices with the biggest wow factor and best specs at the lowest price.
In addition, other consumer-facing companies are investing in XR, including Apple, Samsung, LG, and Sony. While each company has varying levels of penetration into the enterprise market, only one company can emerge as the leader.
This means that these major tech companies have a huge presence in the XR market. The expensive R&D they can afford is leading to products that are transforming the market in a big way.
“Big companies play a critical role in the XR industry and market,” Furnari said. “Their influence affects the entire XR ecosystem in many ways. They drive innovation, not just in technology, but also in standards.”
Furnari also added:
“They are expanding the market with more cost-effective devices, making them more accessible, and developing the ecosystem as a result.
“The contribution of large companies is essential to the growth and maturity of the XR market,” Furnari said. “Influential companies provide more value through their investments in R&D, marketing, and sales, which not only advances the technology but also helps create a sustainable and scalable market, paving the way for a more immersive and interconnected future.”