Meta Quest Pro review: improved controllers but irredeemably bad software and feels like it was launched without plan or purpose, highlighting VR's drawbacks
which is a 4/10. https://www.theverge.com/... Adi Robertson / @thedextriarchy : The Quest Pro has some interesting ideas, but they're not deployed remotely well enough to be worth $1500, and anybody who just *really* wants a Quest specs bump should wait to see what the Quest 3 does next year. Rob / @gigggleboo : @reckless @thedextriarchy “The Meta Quest Pro is a high-end alternative to the Quest 2” No. no it's not. It's clearly marketed as a professional device. What a willfully bad take this entire review is. Nilay Patel / @reckless : @Sean_McBeth @thedextriarchy doesn't matter for me and also that is extremely bad design! Eric Provencher / @prvncher : @thedextriarchy I really wonder how this review will change in a year when aftermarket pads will be out and software has time to properly leverage eye tracking. I build XR interactions for a living and I have a lot I want to do now that this tech is here in a device with more reach than HL2. Sean T. McBeth / @sean_mcbeth : @reckless @thedextriarchy Oh, please. Price aside, it's a great headset. It can do everything the Quest 2 can do, only better, plus it can do some new things. As for Meta's Horizon software, just ignore it. Everyone else does. Lots of other, much better options. @anjin_games : @reckless ... LOL. I'm happy someone is pointing this out. The software side of most Meta XR devices is the main weakness. From the moment you put on even a standard Quest 2 you're fighting with the device, particularly if you just want to sit down and play. Sean T. McBeth / @sean_mcbeth : @thedextriarchy @reckless I disagree that it is rushed and I think the price is a good signal of that. Most people don't need a $4,000 desktop computer, but the option is there for the professionals that need it. Adi Robertson / @thedextriarchy : The caveats: I think the new controllers are way more convenient and I love the charging dock, I hope it shows up in future headsets. The battery was not as bad as I expected. If the headset weren't so heavy, the new halo design might be nice. @kylecassidy : @mmasnick The pro is a pretty nice headset, (with some stunning lapses in judgment ($50 add on light seal)) and also the “metaverse” doesn't hold a candle to freely available users developed communities like VR Chat. Both can be true. Adi Robertson / @thedextriarchy : @Sean_McBeth @reckless I think headset resolution and weight is just 100% not there yet for VR to be a good desktop replacement, no matter what app you're using. And the fit/weight was a notable downside over the Quest 2 for me, even before you get to the price gap. @tile : @reckless @thedextriarchy There is exactly a 2.57725% chance of success for any company that believes people want to buy some relatively expensive hardware & wear that on their head all day to “go” somewhere online or talk with other “people”. Breaking: Chance of success has been revised to 1.32846% Sean T. McBeth / @sean_mcbeth : @reckless @thedextriarchy You are *supposed* to use the light blockers during immersive VR sessions. The open periphery is only intended for Mixed Reality mode. Adi Robertson / @thedextriarchy : @Heaney555 It's one of my “am I taking crazy pills” moments — I find it so fundamentally unpleasant. Although also if you're talking first-party apps Meta built itself, what is there to compare it to? Rooms and venues, I guess? David Heaney / @heaney555 : @thedextriarchy Surprising to read that you had so many issues with Workrooms and consider it bad. It was very well received amongst Quest users and is generally considered Meta's best first party VR app by far. Adi Robertson / @thedextriarchy : I want to call out @Holowaty for doing an absolutely incredible job on the Quest Pro photoshoot, I look like I work in the evil shape rotating division of a corporation in a Panos Cosmatos movie, it rules. https://twitter.com/... Nilay Patel / @reckless : @Sean_McBeth @thedextriarchy Well except for making me far more nauseous than the Quest 2 Adi Robertson / @thedextriarchy : I'm honestly surprised at how aimless the Quest Pro launch is. Facebook/Meta has historically been great at giving you at least one really fun thing to do with any given VR headset. But the Quest Pro is all about Horizon and Horizon is some of the worst software I've ever used. @jhamby : @Sean_McBeth ... Full disclosure: Meta's paying me as a contractor to work on XR Tech, but I haven't done anything with the Quest Pro, and I have a Quest 2 at home for work. My personal opinion is the Quest 2 is ready for gamers and also ideal for developers. The Quest Pro is for AAA developers.
The Meta Quest Pro is just... not very good. And the metaverse as built by Meta is one of the worst software experiences you can have. @thedextriarchy with the review — which is a 4/10. https://www.theverge.com/...
The Quest Pro has some interesting ideas, but they're not deployed remotely well enough to be worth $1500, and anybody who just *really* wants a Quest specs bump should wait to see what the Quest 3 does next year.
@reckless @thedextriarchy “The Meta Quest Pro is a high-end alternative to the Quest 2” No. no it's not. It's clearly marketed as a professional device. What a willfully bad take this entire review is.
@thedextriarchy I really wonder how this review will change in a year when aftermarket pads will be out and software has time to properly leverage eye tracking. I build XR interactions for a living and I have a lot I want to do now that this tech is here in a device with more rea…
@reckless @thedextriarchy Oh, please. Price aside, it's a great headset. It can do everything the Quest 2 can do, only better, plus it can do some new things. As for Meta's Horizon software, just ignore it. Everyone else does. Lots of other, much better options.
@reckless ... LOL. I'm happy someone is pointing this out. The software side of most Meta XR devices is the main weakness. From the moment you put on even a standard Quest 2 you're fighting with the device, particularly if you just want to sit down and play.
@thedextriarchy @reckless I disagree that it is rushed and I think the price is a good signal of that. Most people don't need a $4,000 desktop computer, but the option is there for the professionals that need it.
The caveats: I think the new controllers are way more convenient and I love the charging dock, I hope it shows up in future headsets. The battery was not as bad as I expected. If the headset weren't so heavy, the new halo design might be nice.
@mmasnick The pro is a pretty nice headset, (with some stunning lapses in judgment ($50 add on light seal)) and also the “metaverse” doesn't hold a candle to freely available users developed communities like VR Chat. Both can be true.
@Sean_McBeth @reckless I think headset resolution and weight is just 100% not there yet for VR to be a good desktop replacement, no matter what app you're using. And the fit/weight was a notable downside over the Quest 2 for me, even before you get to the price gap.
@reckless @thedextriarchy There is exactly a 2.57725% chance of success for any company that believes people want to buy some relatively expensive hardware & wear that on their head all day to “go” somewhere online or talk with other “people”. Breaking: Chance of success has been…
@reckless @thedextriarchy You are *supposed* to use the light blockers during immersive VR sessions. The open periphery is only intended for Mixed Reality mode.
@Heaney555 It's one of my “am I taking crazy pills” moments — I find it so fundamentally unpleasant. Although also if you're talking first-party apps Meta built itself, what is there to compare it to? Rooms and venues, I guess?
@thedextriarchy Surprising to read that you had so many issues with Workrooms and consider it bad. It was very well received amongst Quest users and is generally considered Meta's best first party VR app by far.
I want to call out @Holowaty for doing an absolutely incredible job on the Quest Pro photoshoot, I look like I work in the evil shape rotating division of a corporation in a Panos Cosmatos movie, it rules. https://twitter.com/...
I'm honestly surprised at how aimless the Quest Pro launch is. Facebook/Meta has historically been great at giving you at least one really fun thing to do with any given VR headset. But the Quest Pro is all about Horizon and Horizon is some of the worst software I've ever used.
@Sean_McBeth ... Full disclosure: Meta's paying me as a contractor to work on XR Tech, but I haven't done anything with the Quest Pro, and I have a Quest 2 at home for work. My personal opinion is the Quest 2 is ready for gamers and also ideal for developers. The Quest Pro is for…
@Sean_McBeth @reckless Like, I don't want to say no one should buy this headset, but I think Meta severely jumped the gun on VR being office-ready, unless you work in very specific fields where VR has huge benefits. It's just not a good experience for the money for me.
@anjin_games ... Yes! And it's mainly ok if you're just trying to boot up a game, but the moment you treat it as a computing device it's like trying to do office work on an Xbox
@prvncher I'm kinda curious how long the device itself will stick around, because Meta seems committed to a really rapid update cycle. I'm excited to see what people do with eye tracking and I hope an ecosystem gets built out in the next year or so.
TIL the word “palimpsest” from this incredible @thedextriarchy review of Quest Pro: “a manuscript or piece of writing material on which the original writing has been effaced to make room for later writing but of which traces remain.” https://www.theverge.com/...