At Siggraph 2022, a tech event where researchers can show off their latest projects, I got a chance to try out a prototype VR headset that Meta will never release to the public.
It is not the first time that Meta has presented its helmet prototypes. In June, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and members of Meta's Reality Labs division revealed more than a dozen devices that they will never release.
One such headset is the Starburst, a chunky VR headset that can reach up to 20,000 nits of brightness, making it about 200 times brighter than the Oculus Quest 2.
This extra brightness isn't meant to turn the headphones into some sort of eye-burning torture device. Instead, he helps Meta experiment with HDR.
HDR (high dynamic range) is the technology used in displays to make colors pop in bright scenes, while ensuring dark objects look detailed in dark scenes. TVs that lack HDR will display duller colors and scenes set in dark environments will be little more than a dark smudge.
By boosting the brightness of your headphones to levels that Starburst can deliver, Meta can dramatically improve your headphones' HDR capabilities. Specifically, this allowed Meta to create gorgeous immersive environments.
all the lights
Starburst transported me to shore, a beautifully realistic scene of waves gently lapping against nearby rocks.
Turning up the brightness from 5000 to 10 nits transported me to an inverted version of the same coast. The sky changed from a brilliant blue to a cloudy crimson, and the once-inviting waters glowed an eerie green – it was like I was in a scene from Stranger Things season 000.
Crank things up to 20,000 nits and the scene went almost black, but I could still make out the details of the rocks scattered around me. The only illumination was these random streaks of light that suddenly came down from the sky, reflecting off the water and helping to define my surroundings.
Although the setting gradually became more sinister, each layer felt progressively more real.
This was especially true for Meta's other HDR demo. Instead of being a full scene, Meta suspended a large metal ball, the size of a basketball, in front of me.
This orb reflected a desktop space back at me, and as the brightness of the headset increased, the quality of the reflections improved dramatically.
The bullet was dull and gray around its edges at 100 nits; the same brilliance as the best VR headsets we have today.
He could make out the reflected scene, but it was clearly a fake. At 1000 nits, the kind of brightness he'd expect from one of the best 4K TVs, the orb looked much more lifelike, and the reflected scene became even brighter. Pushing things up to 20,000 nits made the reflections even more detailed.
No helmet should have all this power
So if Starburst can produce next level images, why would Meta want to release it?
Well, for starters, the device is incredibly bulky. Instead of being tethered to my head, Starburst hung from a large metal arm using a pulley; I had to hold it to my eyes by handles on each side.
If you wanted to freely explore a virtual space with this device, you would need to spend a lot of time training in the gym.
However, it has to be very bulky as it requires a lot of specialized components not only to improve the power of the backlight but also to prevent it from overheating.
It also means a few other components had to be removed to make room for the essentials. Unlike the standalone Quest 2, Starburst had to rely on an external PC.
Also, Starburst is too bright. When at full brightness, scenes had to stay dark enough to keep my eyes from exploding.
The few bright lights that lit up the scenes were almost painful to watch, making Starburst experiences experiences you wouldn't want to spend too much time immersed in.
Experiences that relied on Starburst's lower brightness settings in the 1000 to 10 range were not only stunning to look at, but also much more comfortable. It is possible that one day we will be able to enjoy headphones with this type of function.
Although Starburst will never see the light of day, it does play a role in the development of the Meta's next-generation hardware, such as Project Cambria, the Oculus Quest 3, and more.
As Mark Zuckerberg previously explained, the Meta prototypes "will help us identify technical avenues that will allow us to make significant enough improvements that we can begin to move closer to visual realism."
By taking various aspects to the extreme, Meta is able to analyze what it has more to offer users to make VR more realistic and enjoyable.
Starburst showed me that HDR is an area that desperately needs an update, because right now my weak Oculus Quest 2 just isn't up to par with what Starburst had to offer.
Given how long development has taken, it will likely take a while for future Meta headsets to figure out some of Starburst's tricks. However, when they finally do, we're sure we're in for a surprise.
What if you are looking for something that will blow your mind today? Check out our picks for the best Oculus Quest 2 games.