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

Prepare to learn more about Facebook's intentions for its expanding AR and VR technologies, since the company has scheduled its annual Connect conference for October 28th, which will be held remotely for the second year in a row.

Facebook Connect has usually been where the company has made major announcements about its AR and VR capabilities. Facebook introduced its Quest 2 VR headsets last year, as well as more information about its Initiative Aria AR wearables project. In 2019, Facebook released the first peek of its Horizon VR social environment, as well as its breakthroughs in hand tracking technology for more immersive VR experiences.

This time around, you can expect something similar, with Facebook close to releasing the first iteration of its AR glasses (which it's now calling smart glasses because they won't have full AR functionality), and VR continuing to gain traction, especially as people seek alternative entertainment options in the face of ongoing COVID restrictions.

Expect to see a lot of references to the Metaverse, especially since Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated that the firm will someday become "a Metaverse corporation”. Nobody knows for sure what that means, but the idea of a virtual world where you can participate in an ever-increasing number of ways appeals to Zuck and his team.

Facebook sees a lot of potential in the AR and VR link, releasing research in June predicting that 75 percent of all business owners will use AR and VR technology in the next two years and that global spending on AR and VR will increase 6x in the same time frame. Given this, the 2021 Connect Conference could see some big announcements related to this fundamental transformation, which could have a huge impact on how people use Facebook and Instagram.

We'll find out soon enough since Facebook has stated that further details on the conference will be released in the following weeks.