Zuckerberg introduces the latest developments in photorealistic 3D avatars in a video interview in cyberspace. But it’s questionable whether great technology can save the Metaverse. That’s because Meta reported a $3.74 billion loss for its Reality Labs division in the third quarter of this year.

In early October, Mark Zuckerberg responded to the huge financial losses by laying off employees in his research department, which makes hardware and software for virtual reality and augmented reality. There, the multidisciplinary expert develops virtual reality tools such as his Meta Quest headset and his Spark AR Studio, which Facebook offers as his suite of programming for augmented reality projects, and the latest in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Researching the front lines.

It is unclear how many professionals were laid off this month, but Meta has cut approximately 21,000 jobs starting in November 2022. The large-scale layoffs are also aimed at convincing investors that Reality Labs’ costs are under control despite declining sales. However, many investors’ confidence is likely to be limited given the $21.3 billion in losses incurred by the business and research sector since August 2022. The company’s immature VR experience and outdated headsets have also drawn criticism from some users.

First interview in the Metaverse

Last year, Roblox’s RDC23 conference distributed the more expensive $1,500 Meta Quest Pro headset to all attendees for marketing purposes. It remains to be seen whether the $500 Quest 3 will perform better. For example, VR fans on Twitter (X), YouTube, and Reddit have been complaining about the headset’s poor sound quality, and Meta wants to fix that.

But there have been some notable technological developments recently, including what podcaster Rex Friedman calls “the first interview in the Metaverse.” The video below shows his two realistic 3D avatars of Zuckerberg and Friedman. They are impressive with their unique facial expressions and spatial voices.

I’m fascinated by futuristic scenarios and imaginative worlds, so I love working on topics like AI, AR, and gaming and writing about them on Notebookcheck. To delve deeper into these fields, I studied design, digital media, and art after working as a goldsmith and silversmith. In my free time, I enjoy playing music and spending a lot of time in nature with my dog.