At Facebook Reality Labs, our mission is to build tools that help people feel connected, anytime, anywhere. Today marks our seventh annual AR/VR conference, recently rebranded as Facebook Connect to reflect its broader scope. For the first time, the event was completely digital, free and open to anyone to attend. From cutting-edge VR headsets to all-day wearable AR glasses, we talked about building the future. And underpinning it will be a deeper sense of connection with the important people and things in our lives.
During today’s keynote, we heard from Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Head of Facebook Reality Labs Andrew Bosworth and more as they shared AAA gaming partnerships, Quest Platform news and updates to Oculus for Business, among other announcements. Here’s a look at the highlights.
Introducing Quest 2
We announced Oculus Quest 2 – the next generation of all-in-one VR. It has our highest resolution display ever, weighs less than the original Quest and starts at just $299 USD. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Platform processor and 6GB of memory to power even more immersive experiences, with newly redesigned controllers for better ergonomics and longer battery life. Pre-orders open today, and Quest 2 will ship October 13. Learn more here.
EssilorLuxottica Partnership
We announced a multi-year partnership with EssilorLuxottica – the makers of eyewear from Oakley and Ray-Ban to Armani, Versace and more. Together, we’ll build and release a pair of Ray-Ban branded smart glasses in 2021. They’ll combine innovative technology with fashion-forward style and help people better connect with friends and family.
Spark AR Momentum
Every month, more than 600 million people use Spark AR across Facebook and Instagram. More than 400,000 creators from over 190 countries have published Spark AR effects for Facebook and Instagram. Together, they’ve published over 1.2 million AR effects to date. In just the last three months, more than 150 effect owners have hit over 1 billion views and uses. And beginning next year, we’ll open up Portal and Messenger to Spark AR creator publishing, giving more people fun new ways to connect.
Building Responsibly
We shared our principles for responsible innovation, which guide all of our work at Facebook Reality Labs. They are: never surprise people, provide controls that matter, consider everyone and put people first. These principles will continue to evolve as we build the next computing platform. Learn more about our principles here.
These innovations help drive our progress toward the next great computing platform with people at the center.
Visit Tech@Facebook and the Oculus Blog for a full recap of today’s announcements.