Meta's Next-gen Oculus Headset Kit Left In A Hotel Room

Video A video showcasing what appears to be Meta's upcoming VR headset has leaked online after the gizmo was apparently left in a hotel room.

Video as Facebook sucks for links. pic.twitter.com/J07x5nCLkQ

— Kevin Beaumont (@GossiTheDog) September 12, 2022

The unboxing video, posted on Facebook, reveals a clunky black headset complete with two controls that looks just like the one that was teased by Meta in a promo video for Project Cambria last year. 

Youtube Video

Meta is expected to launch the next-generation VR device at Meta Connect, a virtual event scheduled on 11 October. CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other top executives will discuss the company's vision and latest progress in building the metaverse, which the beleaguered business sees as its next big thing.

The video and images on Reddit don't give too much away in terms of hardware or performance, but do suggest the secretive headset developed under codename Project Cambria will be named the "Meta Quest Pro". 

The gear was leaked by Ramiro Cardenas, who claimed to have found the headset in a hotel room. Multiple devices were allegedly left behind, he told The Verge, and the hardware was later apparently returned to whoever had stayed in the room. 

Meta's previous Oculus VR goggles were aimed at gaming, but the upcoming headset was marketed as a more advanced, general device capable of executing many features outside of entertainment. 

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In the company's latest earnings call in April, Zuckerberg said he wanted Project Cambria to be a "higher-end headset" that "will be more focused on work use cases" that could eventually replace people's laptop or work setup. In other words, the so-called Meta Quest Pro is designed to be worn for hours by people that, erm, take meetings in the metaverse. 

"This premium device will have improved ergonomics and full color passthrough mixed reality to seamlessly blend virtual reality with the physical world. We're also building in eye tracking and face tracking so that your avatar can make eye contact and facial expressions, which dramatically improves your sense of presence," Zuckerberg said. 

The Register has reached out to Meta for comment. ®