News > Social Media Facebook Announces New Tech to Build the Metaverse Get ready for advances in augmented, mixed, and virtual reality By Lawrence Bonk Lawrence Bonk News Reporter Florida State University Lawrence Bonk is a tech news reporter for Lifewire, specializing in gaming, AI, VR, and consumer tech, including iOS, macOS, wearables, and more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on October 29, 2021 10:28AM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr Twitter University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Social Media Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Tech Leaders Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Women in Gaming If you are a bit worn down by actual reality, there is no better time to start looking into virtual reality, thanks to Facebook and its massive push into virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality (VR, AR, and MR, respectively). The company held its annual Facebook Connect conference on Thursday and threw down the gauntlet with regards to all three kinds of digital reality. Mark Zuckerberg laid out his plans for the future, wrapped in the umbrella of what he is calling the “metaverse.” What is the metaverse? Facebook’s CEO likened it to another world laid on top of the real one, calling it an “embodied Internet.” Vinicus Amnx "Instead of looking at a screen, or today how we look at the Internet, I think in the future you're going to be in the experiences, and I think that's just a qualitatively different experience," Zuckerberg said. If you are looking for one gadget to illustrate his metaverse concept, the company also introduced Project Cambria. The high-end VR headset is set to launch next year and includes a bevy of features that set it apart from the company’s current flagship headset, the Oculus Quest 2. Cambria includes sensors that allow your virtual avatar to maintain eye contact with another avatar and even reflect facial expressions. The headset also will focus on mixed-reality experiences, with the company saying it will have the ability to represent virtual objects in the physical world with both depth and perspective. Cambria will also, of course, include tech to upgrade visual fidelity, but details will be released next year. As for augmented reality, Facebook is upgrading its Spark AR platform, aiming it more toward creators. It is launching an iOS app called Polar that allows users to design their own AR effects and objects, with no coding experience necessary. Facebook also put rumors to rest regarding a new company name. It went with “Meta,” further tying itself to the idea of the metaverse and a connected virtual world. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit