Meta Creates Augmented Reality Headset Aimed at Developers

Meta, a San Francisco startup, has created augmented reality (AR) headsets that overlay holographic images on the world. According to the company’s website, the AR headset was “designed for trailblazers.”

The Meta 2 headset is similar to Microsoft’s HoloLens, which is one of the most popular AR headsets on the market today. Meta’s headset aims to put mixed reality holograms into play in real time; it allows you to touch, grab and pull photorealistic content, according to the company. It features an overhead strap, similar to a virtual reality headset, to keep it in place. The front-facing depth sensors boast a 90-degree field of view that scans the real world and it features sensors to keep track of body motion, quadraphonic surround sound speakers and three microphones.

The Meta 2 will set you back about $949, which is much cheaper than the HoloLens that’s priced at $3,000. However, the Meta 2 headset is only able to work properly when tied to a laptop or PC that’s running a discrete graphic chip, according to the company, but the HoloLens is self-contained. Meta plans to offer untethered headsets by next year.

The Meta 2 is much larger than its competitor, which consumers may or may not like, and has memory foam on the interior. When wearing the Meta 2, your augmented reality window is expanded as opposed to being confined to the space of a virtual television in front of you. It also allows you to pick up virtual objects and move them, and even digitize’s your hands.

The Meta 2 headset is only sold in limited quantities as the company is marketing it as a developer tool.

“The Meta 2 arrives ready for you to start building. Unbox a headset designed for comfort, produce killer apps with out Unity SDK, and interact with Workspace, Meta’s concept to build your own AR experiences,” the company’s website reported.

Here are the specs, provided by Meta: