Key recommendations
- Meta is testing a prototype VR headset with a wider field of view than existing Quest models.
- The design includes angled lenses for an improved FOV, but is still in its early stages.
- Don't expect a wide FOV headset from Meta as they are currently focused on releasing the Quest 3S.
Meta appears to be working on a prototype VR headset that offers a wider field of view than any of the existing Meta Quest headsets. A recently released image shows the company's CTO taking a look at some of the experiments being tested in Meta's Reality Labs.
Meta is constantly testing new designs for its various peripherals, with some images of these items being either officially distributed or leaked on the internet from time to time. The Meta Quest 3S headset was semi-teased in an earlier image of the CTO, where the then-unannounced VR headset sat on a shelf behind him. Now, a new leak seems to indicate that the company is testing wider FOVs for the headset.
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In an image shared by Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth on Instagram, viewers noticed that one of the headphones he was reviewing looked quite different. The image shows a prototype VR headset that appears to curve around the sides of the face, rather than simply fitting the front of the face. The lenses are angled, which would play a big role in improving how wide the field of view is on future headsets. The design is clearly only intended as a prototype, as it's wired and has unsightly attachments, but it's intriguing to see that Meta might be thinking about the possibility of a wider FOV in the future.
While this is indeed a test by Meta, that doesn't necessarily mean it will reach consumers. Meta is constantly innovating and testing to determine what would be a good feature and would work well for its future products. Meta's recently canceled La Jolla project, which was supposedly going to compete with the Apple Vision Pro and possibly be called the Meta Quest Pro 2. However, Bosworth noted that the company has prototypes in development “in whatever moment” and that not everything is actually produced. The company has several stages of experimentation before ideas ever reach the prototype stage. Even once products reach the final stage, they may end up being canceled by the company before being announced to consumers.
For now, VR enthusiasts shouldn't hold their breath for a wide FOV headset release on the Meta. Right now, Meta is focusing on the recent release of Quest 3S, with no official word on a Meta Quest 4 or follow-up at this time. Even if this prototype goes through all the phases and gets an official release, it would probably be a few years from now.
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