Facebook Announces the Date for its Upcoming 'Facebook Connect' AR/VR Showcase

Get ready to hear more about Facebook’s plans for its evolving AR and VR tools, with the company penciling in October 28th as the date for its annual Connect conference, which will be hosted virtually for the second year running.

Facebook Connect is where the company has traditionally made big announcements relating to its AR and VR tools. Last year, Facebook unveiled its Quest 2 VR headsets, while it also provided more detail on its Project Aria AR wearables project. In 2019, Facebook detailed its advances in hand tracking technology for more immersive VR experiences, while it also shared the first glimpses of its Horizon VR social world. 

You can expect similar this time around, with Facebook close to launching the first iteration of its AR glasses (which it’s now calling smart glasses, as they won’t have full AR functionality) while VR continues to see strong take-up, particularly as people seek alternative entertainment options amid ongoing COVID restrictions.

Expect, also, to see many references to the Metaverse, with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announcing that Facebook will eventually become ‘a Metaverse company’.What, exactly, that means, nobody knows for sure, but clearly, the concept of a virtual world, where you can interact in an ever-increasing amount of ways, holds strong appeal for Zuck and Co.

Facebook sees massive potential in AR and VR connection, with the company publishing a report in June which indicated that 75% of all business owners will be utilizing AR and VR technology in the next two years, while global spending on AR and VR is set to rise 6x in the same time frame.

Facebook AR adoption report

Given this, the 2021 Connect Conference could play host to some significant announcements, aligned with this major shift, which may well end up impacting every aspect of Facebook and Instagram usage.

We’ll find out soon – Facebook says that it’ll provide more information on the conference in the coming weeks.

Source: www.socialmediatoday.com, originally published on 2021-08-18 19:10:26