Meta to open its first retail store on May 9, to highlight metaverse-related products
The Quest 2 virtual-reality headset, the Portal video calling gadget, and the Ray-Ban Stories smart eyewear will be on display at the store. Customers may test out the gadgets to play with virtual and augmented reality before purchasing them.
FollowMeta, the corporation once known as Facebook, said that it will open its first real storefront next month as it attempts to establish itself as the metaverse's leader. The Meta Store, located on the company's headquarters in Burlingame, California, will open on May 9, according to Meta.
The Quest 2 virtual-reality headset, the Portal video calling gadget, and the Ray-Ban Stories smart eyewear will be on display at the store. Customers may test out the gadgets to play with virtual and augmented reality before purchasing them in-store or online at Meta's or Ray Ban-websites.
The New York Times reported on the Meta Store's development in November, citing internal papers and people familiar with the company's ambitions. "The only way to comprehend virtual reality is to experience it," said Meta's founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, in a statement.
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Zuckerberg has thrown his firm headfirst into chasing his vision of the so-called metaverse, a futuristic digital world in which people flow fairly smoothly from virtual to enhanced versions of reality. He sees virtual- and augmented-reality devices as a stepping stone to a more connected future in which people feel more at ease conversing through wearable technology.
Other hardware devices, such as a smartwatch and more advanced augmented-reality glasses, are being developed by the business. Zuckerberg has stated that he expects the technology to take years to gain widespread use.
For the time being, the store will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Meta's merchandise is now available for purchase online via a new store link on the company's website.
According to reports, Facebook's Project Nazare initiative will produce augmented reality spectacles by 2024. The first model will be available in two years, followed by a "lighter, more sophisticated" model in 2026 and a third in 2028.
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