Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday revealed its plans to release the second-generation virtual reality headset, the Oculus Quest 2. Like last year’s version of Quest, it does not require a computer to run, and all the items needed to use the VR are stuffed inside.
The social network made a partnership with EssilorLuxottica, a manufacturer of eyewear such as Ray-Ban, to develop the next generation of eyeglasses. As stated in a press release, the collaboration will consolidate Facebook applications and innovations, Luxottica’s class authority and notorious brands, and Essilor’s lens innovation to allow customers to maintain better communication with their relatives. The primary item will be marked Ray-Ban, the world’s most famous eyewear brand, and is planned to launch in 2021.
“We’re passionate about exploring devices that can give people better ways to connect with those closest to them. Wearables have the potential to do that. With EssilorLuxottica, we have an equally ambitious partner who’ll lend their expertise and world-class brand catalog to the first truly fashionable smart glasses.”
Andrew Bosworth, Vice President of Facebook Reality Labs
The virtual reality industry faces various difficulties, including the cost of the headsets, the accessible contents, and the plan of the gadgets. Despite this fact, Facebook unveiled the prices of its Oculus Quest 2 for only $299, which is $100 cheaper than the first VR. It may be cheaper, but the company assured its quality using an upgraded processor and higher-resolution display.
In this pandemic, the demand for virtual reality headsets increased because people look for more entertainment. According to Zuckerberg, in a news report, the first Oculus Quest “has repeatedly sold out this year.” Because of the halt in business operations, the outbreak affected the production, which reduced the supply of materials.
As mentioned in a news report, Zuckerberg expressed the company’s goal in producing Oculus Quest 2, which is “to develop some normal-size, nice-looking glasses that you can wear all day [and] interact with holograms, digital objects and information while still being present with the people in the world around you.”
Despite this goal and the VR’s noteworthy features, it may result in people being antisocial.
“Getting a mass population of regular people into VR may be tough. Gaming with a console is a social activity: You sit on the couch with friends and can see and hear their reactions as you play against one another. Virtual reality is still profoundly isolating.”
Todd Haselton, Technology Products Editor for CNBC
The product may seem appealing during the pandemic since people cannot go out of their homes to spend time with friends and loved ones. Oculus Quest 2 may give everyone the avenue to reconnect virtually with people outside their families, but it can also create boundaries with people inside it.
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