Meta teams up with Microsoft and Accenture to bring workspaces to Metaverse

Meta unraveled the Meta Quest Pro today at Meta Connect 2022. The company’s VR headset brings workspaces into Meta’s virtual world and adds features like eye-tracking, pancake optics, better controllers, and more.

The VR headset targets creative individuals like architects and builders and brings their workspaces into Metaverse. Last year, Meta launched Meta Horizons Workrooms (Beta), which created a VR space for work teams to collaborate. The Meta Quest Pro expands on the existing features by adding more expressive avatars that depict emotions more accurately due to eye-tracking and face-reading technologies. It also added breakout rooms, similar to the ones on Zoom, where a separate room can be created for teams from a bigger presentation. Next year, individuals will be able to join the Workrooms via Zoom as well. Additionally, Meta Quest Pro brings improved pancake optics with higher contrast than the Meta Quest 2, which display text clearly in VR and reduce the bulk in front of the headset.

Meta also added sticky notes, 3-D models (launching next year), three virtual screens, and a Magic Room. The Magic Room – coming next year– is a hybrid system that can connect remote individuals virtually with ones present physically in a room. Meta Quest Pro controllers also have a 360-degree range of motion, comprise precision gestures, and provide haptic feedback, such as vibrations.

Other than this, Meta mentioned its collaboration with Microsoft to bring productivity tools to the Meta Quest 2 and Pro. These tools include the integration of Microsoft Teams with Meta Quest letting users share an immersive meeting experience. Individuals can access personalized apps, settings, and content through Microsoft 365 on Meta Quest products. Similarly, users can interact with 2-D content, such as Word and Excel documents from Meta Quest’s VR spaces. Furthermore, users can join meetings on Microsoft teams through workrooms using their Meta Avatars and enable security and management through Azure Active Directory and Microsoft Intune.

Meta and Microsoft will also collaborate with Accenture to “transform the way they engage employees, interact with customers, or create products and services in the metaverse.” Thus, interested individuals can join the Software Vendor Program to provide AR/VR/XR-related solutions.

Furthermore, Meta unveiled the addition of 3-D immersive views and 3-D models for creators and architectures through Autodesk and Adobe’s collaboration. It stated:

“Next year, Adobe’s Substance 3D apps for professional 3D creators, designers, and artists are coming to Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 2, so anyone can model 3D objects and join collaborative reviews inside VR with our controllers. And Adobe will bring Adobe Acrobat to the Meta Quest Store, enabling PDF document viewing, editing, and collaboration – major advances for productivity in VR.”

Next year, Meta plans to launch a subscription for businesses called Meta Quest for Business that would include more tools and features to provide greater control. Additionally, it would add Azure Active Directory to ensure security on the virtual platform.