Meta Connect 2023 Live Blog
Live Updates from Meta Connect 2023 Keynote Announcements
Overview
Mark Zuckerberg has leaned into metaverse and AI in a big way, as is evident from the announcements at Meta Connect 2023, held on Sep 27, 2023 at Menlo Park.
Introduction
Mark Zuckerberg had previously bet bigtime on the Metaverse with the Quest 2 and Quest Pro and he seems to have a vision for the future that merges the digital and physical worlds seamlessly. This is similar to the vision that Tim Cook outlined in his keynote at WWDC 2023 around Spatial Computing and the Apple Vision Pro headset.
The keynote was all about how the physical and the digital come together.
Zuckerberg started off the keynote by talking about 3 key foundational technologies that enable this vision.
- Mixed Reality — Allows bringing digital objects into the physical world
- AI
- Smart Glasses
Mixed Reality
Zuckerberg outlined his new vision for the future by talking about innovating by taking something that is not affordable and making it accessible to everyone.
He made the announcement of the Quest 3 headset as being the world’s first mainstream mixed reality headset. He mentioned that Quest 3 is the most powerful headset that Meta has shipped. He talked about navigating using hands and gestures as well as with the brand new precision controllers for Quest 3. He took a dig at Apple by saying that it was completely standalone and there weren’t any wires or battery packs.
Gaming and Fitness
The Quest 3 enables gaming and fitness applications.
Zuckerberg said that the Quest 3 is a canvas that one can bring one’s digital objects into the world. The Quest 3 understands the space so one can play with the world. One can play games like Bricktales or Bam! or doing workouts like Bodycombat.
He described playing the Stranger Things game in one’s living room where portals to the Upside Down can open up right there.
Assisted Scene Capture
Quest 3 automatically maps the space one is in using 2 dedicated color sensors and a LIDAR depth sensor.
The new Meta Quest 3 VR headset stole the show with its stellar upgrades including improved passthrough technology boasting 10 times more pixels than its predecessor, higher resolution displays, and enhanced graphics capabilities.
It’s powered by the newly announced Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip, which is expected to deliver a smoother and more immersive VR experience.
Retailing at $500, the headset also comes with a six-month Quest+ VR subscription, providing an enticing package for VR enthusiasts.
Meta also teased a business-focused version of Quest 3, which could open new horizons for VR in professional settings.
Xbox Cloud Gaming on Meta Quest
In collaboration with Xbox, Meta announced cloud gaming on its Quest platform. A virtual screen will float in either a virtual or mixed-reality space, offering a repositionable and resizable interface for gamers.
This feature is set to launch in December, opening new dimensions of gaming experiences.
Emu for Image Generation
Emu, Meta’s new foundational model for image generation, is set to bring generative AI stickers to Meta’s messaging apps.
Users can create unique AI stickers in seconds across Meta apps including WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Facebook Stories, adding a fun and personalized touch to their digital conversations.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses
In partnership with Ray-Ban, Meta introduced smart glasses equipped with a 12-megapixel camera and an LED light to indicate recording.
With over 150 design combinations available, users can livestream to friends and followers directly from the glasses.
The pricing starts at $299 for standard lenses, $329 for polarized, and $379 for transitions, with pre-orders now open in certain markets.
Meta AI
Meta is stepping into the AI chatbot arena with the launch of Meta AI, an AI assistant slated to come to the newly announced Quest 3 VR headset.
With capabilities such as planning trips in group chats, answering general knowledge questions, and web searching via Microsoft’s Bing, Meta AI aims to provide a seamless interactive experience.
Meta also launched AI Studio, a platform allowing businesses to build AI chatbots for Meta’s messaging services including Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. This platform, although initially available in alpha, is poised to help businesses create AI solutions aligned with their brand values to enhance customer service experiences.
Summary
The Meta Connect 2023 Keynote showcased Meta’s relentless pursuit of innovating the digital realm. From enhanced VR experiences to smart glasses and AI-driven features, the future of digital interaction seems exciting and boundless with Meta leading the charge into uncharted territories
