Meta Researchers Unveil Compact Ultra-Wide Field-of-View VR & MR Headsets

Alright, so bear with me here. Meta’s Reality Labs folks — you know, the tech wizards — are cooking up some wild headsets. So, there’s this big, fancy conference happening soon. SIGGRAPH something-or-other. Anyway, before it kicks off, the brainy types published some new research about VR headsets that basically try to give you owl vision (or something close to it). They’re all about cramming this giant horizontal field-of-view — like 180 degrees, which is bananas compared to the usual Quest 3 stuff that’s around 100.

I mean, think about it. 180 degrees? It’s like your face is a fishbowl. Why the fish comparisons? No idea, but it just feels right.

The first doodad they’re talking about is this pure VR headset using something called “high-curvature reflective polarizers.” Sounds like a mouthful, right? I can barely keep up. Basically, it lets you get that wide screen without feeling like you strapped a microwave to your noggin.

And then there’s this MR (mixed reality?) headset that throws in a bunch of cameras for that extra wide view. Four cameras, actually. It’s like they wanted to catch every angle of your messy living room. Together, they pack 80 megapixels and shoot at 60 frames per second. I guess that’s fast? Would be real handy to check if someone stole your fries while you’re deep in virtual wonderland.

So back to the comparisons. They put this shiny new thing against the Quest 3. When you slap on this new MR headset, it’s like — Bam! — you’re aware of everything. Someone sitting next to you? Check. Got a snack in your lap? Check. Not sure why you’d forget a snack is there, but just in case.

The headsets have some old-school feel too, hooking back to that Constellation system from the days of the OG Oculus Rift. Stirs a few memories, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s just me. Anyway, the tech seems easy to whip around for quick updates or testing or whatever it is those folks do.

And okay, sidetrack: there are other headsets with similarly wide visions from a company called Pimax. But they tend to make your head look like a Frankenstein project — big and bulky. Nobody’s really into that. Style matters, even in VR.

These new gadgets from the Reality Labs are supposed to be on par with the current gear size-wise. No oversized helmet look here, apparently, which is honestly a relief.

Oh, and if you’re thinking, “Great! I’m ready for the next-gen Quest with a wider field-of-view right now!” — slow down a bit. Meta’s known for teasing stuff for ages before actually dropping it into our laps. Classic carrot-on-a-stick. They showed off this cool varifocal display tech years back and it still hasn’t arrived.

The big boss, Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth, even said last year that going for that wide field-of-view in consumer sets has its headaches. Costs go up, and they turn into battery-guzzlers, getting all chunky and heavy. But hey, who knows? Maybe their latest experiments will change his mind. Stay tuned, I guess.

Anyway, this is all in the R&D phase. Could hit our goggles soon or get shelved — only time will tell!