As the idea of the metaverse and the concept of virtual reality (VR) continue to gain traction in the market, Meta is going all-in to develop the perfect VR headset for users. We recently saw Meta CEO Mark Zuckerburg demo the company’s upcoming shippable VR headset, Project Cambria. And now, Zuckerburg and the head of Meta’s Reality Labs department Michael Abrash have shown off several VR headset prototypes. Check them out right below.
Mark Zuckerburg along with Michael Abrash and his team of scientists at Reality Labs recently showcased a few distinct proofs of concept for VR headsets. These include devices codenamed Butterscotch, Holocake 2, Mirror Lake, and Starburst. Each of these prototypes is designed for testing one specific feature, such as an improved screen or a bright backlight.
Next comes Butterscotch, a VR headset prototype that comes with a near-retina-quality headset display. Although the company had to halve the Meta Quest 2’s 110-degree FOV to develop the Butterscotch prototype, it offers up to 2.5 times the resolution for each eye as compared to the Quest 2. It also allows users to read the 20/20 vision line on an eye chart and offers 55 pixels per field-of-view degree. Although, it is nowhere in shippable condition as of now.
The Holocake 2 prototype, on the other hand, is more like an AR glass rather than a full-fledged VR headset. It uses a light-bending process, which leverages a thick, refractive lens. Although the device could be as thin as traditional glasses, Meta is working to integrate a self-contained light source, preferably a laser rather than OLEDs, that will fuel the Holocake 2 headset. “We’ll need to do a lot of engineering to achieve a consumer-viable laser that meets our specs: that’s safe, low-cost, and efficient, and that can fit a slim VR headset. Honestly, as of today, the jury is still out on a suitable laser source.”
Coming to the Mirror Lake prototype, it is essentially an aspirational concept that no other company has built yet. It looks very much like a ski-goggle and the device is slated to come with Holocake 2’s thin optics, Starburst’s HDR capabilities, and Butterscotch’s per-eye resolution. Overall, Meta wants the Mirror Lake VR headset as the ultimate model to showcase the company’s VR achievements.
Other than these, Meta and Reality Labs also mentioned its Half Dome prototype, which the company began working on in 2017 and unveiled at F8 2018 later on. Reality Labs is scheduled to discuss more of its research at the upcoming SIGGRAPH tradeshow.
