Meta Partners with LG for Next Quest Pro Headset: Report
A South Korean news outlet reports that Meta's next Quest Pro headset, made in partnership with LG, will ship in the first half of next year.
Meta's Partnership with LG for Quest Pro
According to a report from a South Korean news outlet, Meta's next Quest Pro headset will be developed in partnership with LG and is expected to be released in the first half of next year. The report states that Mark Zuckerberg will meet with the CEO of LG Electronics to finalize the details of the collaboration. This marks Zuckerberg's first known visit to South Korea since 2014 when he visited Samsung to finalize a partnership for the Gear VR smartphone headset.
This news comes after a previous report from another South Korean news outlet, Maeil Business Newspaper, revealed that Meta had partnered with LG to build future Quest Pro headsets. Meta has a history of collaborating with experienced consumer electronics companies for its VR headsets, with Samsung handling the hardware for Gear VR, Xiaomi manufacturing Oculus Go, and Lenovo co-designing and manufacturing Oculus Rift S. It remains to be seen how LG's brand will be incorporated into the Quest Pro 2 headset, including whether or not it will bear the LG logo.
LG's Integration of WebOS into the New Headset
The recent report also suggests that while Meta will handle the software aspect of the new headset, LG's webOS, the operating system of LG TVs, will somehow be incorporated. The details of this integration are unclear, but it could potentially mean that the Quest Pro 2 headset will include a virtual LG TV experience. This would enable users to access popular streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Max, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Hulu, Paramount+, and VUDU without the need for additional developer effort. Currently, the Quest headset lacks native apps for many of these platforms, with limited support for streaming and other features.
This move aligns with a trend of software-first Big Tech companies partnering with Korean hardware companies for XR headsets. Samsung previously announced its collaboration with Google for a headset that combines Samsung hardware with Google software. The new Quest Pro 2 headset, with LG's webOS integration, could bring a unique entertainment experience to VR users.
Codec Avatars and the Future of Remote Communication
In addition to the partnership with LG, Meta's Quest Pro 2 headset could also feature Codec Avatars. Codec Avatars is a long-running research and development project by Meta that aims to revolutionize remote communication by creating lifelike avatars driven in real-time by headsets with face tracking sensors. These avatars strive for photorealism and aim to enhance the sense of presence during virtual interactions.
Apple's Personas project shares a similar goal but is currently limited to a 2D window and is criticized for its lack of realism. The potential integration of Codec Avatars into the Quest Pro 2 could give Meta an edge in the high-end headset market, currently dominated by Apple. With Meta, LG, and Google (through its collaboration with Samsung) entering the market, the competition for high-end VR headsets is expected to intensify.
