
Meta Quest Pro's cameras make it possible to present a vastly improved version of Quest 2's traffic mode. Instead of black-and-white video of your surroundings, you can use the headset's external cameras to display high-quality color. environment when you want it. That's not to say the image quality is great (it's still a bit grainy), but it beats Quest 2's passthrough mode.
This is one of the main selling points of the Quest Pro, especially when it comes to productivity. For example, when interacting with virtual elements, I can see my laptop or computer keyboard in the real world. You can be in virtual reality in the real world, which is really cool.
There's no denying that the Meta Quest Pro is an impressive piece of technology. It does a good job of mimicking participants' facial expressions and hand gestures to make talking to the avatar more natural. Even the ambient sound makes you feel like you are in a virtual office or a fantasy world. Color-changing cameras let you know about your real world. All this is very impressive.
Despite the advantages, I'm not sure people who collaborate online will find Quest Pro essential. Yes, technology is great, but if you need to meet with your team, it's better to use tried and tested apps like Google Meet or Zoom. It seems doubtful that Meta creates virtual worlds for people to work and play. Maybe it's because I'm getting old, but the last thing I want is to escape into a virtual world.
I may be wrong about the metaverse. If the action kicks off in virtual spaces, Meta Quest Pro certainly lays a strong foundation for iteration. But if $1,499 is too high for you, the $1,099 HTC Vive XR Elite announced at CES 2023 might be a better alternative. And if you just want a VR gaming headset, you can't go wrong with the Meta Quest 2 at $399.