Meta blurs out upcoming VR headset in hands-on hype video

Mark Zuckerburg smiling with his hand up in VR that's been blurred out.
(Image credit: Mark Zuckerburg/Meta)

Mark Zuckerburg, the Zuck himself, has been spotted flaunting Meta's upcoming VR headset in a demo video on his Facebook page, but for reasons we can't quite place, the company has decided to blur out the VR headset. Either by way of generating more hype, or just being vague for the fun of it, we're still none the wiser about Project Cambria

The Byte brought the hands-on to our attention, asking the important questions: "Is there a giant dong attached to the front of the device?"

I'm inclined to share their sentiment of cynicism. I mean, why blur out the one thing we actually care about in the video? Great, there are adorable critters in the new 'experience, and you can pet them, but show us some of that sweet technology, Zuck.

The demo, along with a recent mixed-reality preview, shows that the headset will give users a full-color passthrough, so they can see their surroundings better. It's a step up from the colorless passthroughs some of the best VR headsets today come with.

Other than that, we can see at least that the prototype is black. Though that could change, considering the color scheme we're used to. We also know the upcoming headset will come with eye and face tracking "so that your avatar can make eye contact and facial expressions, which dramatically improves your sense of presence." 

Superb. But can it run Crysis?

Virtual reality

(Image credit: Valve)

Best VR headset: which kit should you choose?
Best graphics card: you need serious GPU power for VR
Best gaming laptop: don't get tied to your desktop in VR

What's become painfully clear is that the upcoming high-end VR headset doesn't appear to be for gamers like you and I. It's being marketed as a desktop PC replacement for "productivity and fun," such as giving long-eared aliens scritches, or sweating into the VR headset while pretending you're not alone doing exercise.

Unfortunately, we gamers are unlikely to see the Oculus Quest Pro come out anytime this year, as Meta's focus remains on Project Cambria. Although we should be seeing four new VR headsets by 2024, which will be an interesting ride as we exodus into our all-encompassing new home in Zuck's metaverse.

Katie Wickens
Hardware Writer

Screw sports, Katie would rather watch Intel, AMD and Nvidia go at it. Having been obsessed with computers and graphics for three long decades, she took Game Art and Design up to Masters level at uni, and has been demystifying tech and science—rather sarcastically—for three years since. She can be found admiring AI advancements, scrambling for scintillating Raspberry Pi projects, preaching cybersecurity awareness, sighing over semiconductors, and gawping at the latest GPU upgrades. She's been heading the PCG Steam Deck content hike, while waiting patiently for her chance to upload her consciousness into the cloud.