Meta Introduces an Updated, More Affordable VR Headset

Meta Connect has wrapped up for the year, leaving only some paper plates on the floor and a trove of new AR/VR gear on display. Out of kindness, for you to explore at your convenience.

The star of the show was the . To reach the lower price point of $300, it sacrifices some features such as the pancake lenses, 4K resolution, and reduced storage capacity.

The 3S seems like a smart move, given that the cost remains the second biggest barrier to bringing VR/AR gear into more homes. The primary barrier, of course, is the lack of a compelling use case that can convince a substantial majority of people.

To further nudge users toward the Quest 3 series, . This transition makes sense, especially considering the long-standing developer complaints about the complexity of developing for both Quest 2 and Quest 3.

Meta

The other significant announcement from the event was the unveiling of the . While not yet ready for sale, Meta is collaborating with developers to refine the technology for a future release.

Personally, I remain skeptical about AR’s potential to be as smart and useful as I’d need it to be. I won’t be investing until it can be at least as useful as Jeeves from PG Wodehouse, even if it won’t be able to fold my laundry.

— Dan Cooper

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Nathan Ingraham had the opportunity to play The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and shares his thoughts. It’s a top-down Zelda throwback where, for the first time, you play as the title character. Nathan enjoyed the game but, like with Tears of the Kingdom, found the vast array of tools available to be somewhat overwhelming to manage.

Photo by Jessica Conditt / Engadget

Jessica Conditt was fortunate enough to get hands-on with the PS5 Pro early. In essence, while not a necessity, if you have $700 to spare and desire unparalleled game visuals, this is a worthwhile splurge.

DoNotPay

DoNotPay, the “robot lawyer” designed to assist with minor legal issues, has been fined $193,000 by the FTC. . This fine comes as part of the FTC’s crackdown on companies leveraging AI to make exaggerated claims about their capabilities.

It appears that . This change comes in response to the recent boardroom drama that temporarily ousted Altman, as well as a likely financial boom from OpenAI’s potential profitability.

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