Meta Quest beats Vision Pro to the punch, getting AI features next month
Meta has just announced that its Quest headsets will be getting Meta AI support starting next month. The news comes shortly after Bloomberg’s Apple insider Mark Gurman revealed Apple Intelligence was coming to Apple Vision Pro.
Meta AI has been available to the public for some time now. Even Meta’s highly popular private messaging app WhatsApp has Meta AI built in. And the Ray-Ban smart glasses recently received Meta AI support as well.
But Meta Quest headsets will become Meta’s first XR (Extended Reality) devices to be powered by the company’s AI model. I, personally, did not see this coming at all. Meta has continuously been talking about the AI-powered AR smart glasses it’s working on. And I kept waiting for those glasses to become available, not even considering the possibility of bringing AI to Quest.
Meta AI has been available to the public for some time now. Even Meta’s highly popular private messaging app WhatsApp has Meta AI built in. And the Ray-Ban smart glasses recently received Meta AI support as well.
How will Meta AI work on Quest?
It just keeps getting better and better. | Video credit — Meta
So, how exactly will Meta AI work on Meta Quest 3 and other Quest headsets? For starters, Meta says that AI will be coming to Quest 3 and Quest 2. I presume it will also be coming to Meta Quest Pro, but the Oculus Quest is almost assuredly not going to get AI support.
Meta AI with Vision, which is available on the Ray-Ban smart glasses, will not be coming to Meta Quest 2. This is because the external cameras on Quest 2 are too outdated to support vision-based AI. Meta AI with Vision is what allows Meta AI to see what you see and answer queries or make suggestions accordingly.
Lastly, Meta AI support for Quest is only coming to the U.S. and Canada for now. It’s in the early stages of testing and will begin rolling out in August. Meta says the service will be improved over time.
Meta AI with Vision, which is available on the Ray-Ban smart glasses, will not be coming to Meta Quest 2. This is because the external cameras on Quest 2 are too outdated to support vision-based AI. Meta AI with Vision is what allows Meta AI to see what you see and answer queries or make suggestions accordingly.
Uses for AI on Meta Quest
Current functionality is very similar to what you get in the Ray-Ban smart glasses. | Video credit — Meta
As it stands now, not many of the use cases presented by Meta for AI on Quest really excite me. The company mentions using Meta AI to identify what’s in front of you or asking what to wear with a particular pair of shorts. Nothing groundbreaking…yet.
It’s the principle that counts here, in my opinion. AI on Meta Quest lays the groundwork for the AR glasses Meta and Google, in addition to other manufacturers, are working on. The Ray-Ban smart glasses were so popular that Meta restructured its XR division. And, as mentioned above, it’s only up from here as Meta incorporates more useful features into its AI.
It’s the principle that counts here, in my opinion. AI on Meta Quest lays the groundwork for the AR glasses Meta and Google, in addition to other manufacturers, are working on. The Ray-Ban smart glasses were so popular that Meta restructured its XR division. And, as mentioned above, it’s only up from here as Meta incorporates more useful features into its AI.
Vision Pro getting AI next year
Meta beat Apple to the punch this time. | Video credit — Apple
Apple’s premium Mixed Reality headset, the Vision Pro, is reportedly getting Apple Intelligence next year. Meta bringing AI support to its flagship headset is sure to be a sting in the tail for Apple. If there was one thing Vision Pro was going to have that Meta Quest didn’t, it would have been AI.
Meta has recently made some very big moves to capitalize on the burgeoning XR industry. The company has made Quest OS open to third parties and continues to improve its existing XR products with frequent updates. Even the latest Quest update mirrors visionOS, specifically in how spatial space can be more efficiently utilized.
Meta says the upcoming AI support for Meta Quest is currently in experimental mode. Furthermore, the AI can only recognize physical objects for now, just like the Ray-Ban smart glasses. It would be quite cool if it could eventually recognize what’s happening in the VR games you’re playing. There’s no word on when consumers outside the U.S. and Canada can expect AI on their Quest headsets.
The Quest 3 continues to retain its well-deserved spot on our list of the best VR headsets. And if Meta continues this trend of amazing updates, and it sure seems like it will, the Quest 3 will remain in that spot for a very long time indeed.
Meta says the upcoming AI support for Meta Quest is currently in experimental mode. Furthermore, the AI can only recognize physical objects for now, just like the Ray-Ban smart glasses. It would be quite cool if it could eventually recognize what’s happening in the VR games you’re playing. There’s no word on when consumers outside the U.S. and Canada can expect AI on their Quest headsets.
The Quest 3 continues to retain its well-deserved spot on our list of the best VR headsets. And if Meta continues this trend of amazing updates, and it sure seems like it will, the Quest 3 will remain in that spot for a very long time indeed.
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