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Hey children, who needs to learn to weld?
Meta is launching a brand new sequence of advertisements for its VR headsets that take the emphasis off Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse goals and focus as an alternative on VR headsets as work instruments, The Wall Avenue Journal reported Thursday. Per the Journal, the marketing campaign will function individuals utilizing Meta’s VR headsets to assist them in sports activities, medication, and probably the most thrilling endeavor of all — welding.
Funtime Is Over
Zuckerberg’s massive wager on the metaverse dominated the tech information cycle for a scorching minute after he rebranded the corporate, however the subsequent massive hype was hiding simply not far away. Generative AI swooped in and stole the metaverse’s highlight, to not point out funding. The 2 aren’t technologically or mutually unique, and Meta is pursuing its personal generative AI ambitions, however there’s additionally the matter of what to do with the $21 billion the corporate has already poured into constructing the metaverse.
Meta’s VR headsets are its greatest gateway for getting customers into the metaverse, however as soon as customers get there, they want a motive to remain. Meta’s try at making a VR area for enjoyable and socializing, Horizon Worlds, has been underwhelming. So it’s been exploring methods to make VR much less about enjoyable and extra about utility:
- In October 2022, a 12 months after its massive rebrand, Meta unveiled a high-end model of its VR headset referred to as the Meta Quest Professional. It launched at an eye-watering (although hopefully not eyeball-straining) $1,500, and the corporate introduced the headset as a instrument for top-level professionals.
- Now Meta is leaning even more durable into that picture, simply because it gears as much as launch its third headset — and as Apple prepares to begin delivering its personal $3,500 headset subsequent 12 months.
Leap of Religion: Even when Meta is easing up on the metaverse messaging, that doesn’t imply the VR/AR area is ailing. Magic Leap, an organization that makes AR headsets and was extensively considered within the palliative stage of its life cycle not so way back, is staging a comeback by licensing its AR tech out to different firms, the Monetary Instances reported this week.