San Francisco, (AFP) - The Meta group (Facebook and Instagram) on Tuesday unveiled a new virtual reality helmet specifically designed for professional use, a year after changing its name and announcing its desire to build a parallel world of Metaverse.

The $1,500 Meta Quest Pro helmet features several advanced technologies aimed at improving users' sense of being with other people.

It is assumed that the new helmet allows not only the possibility of viewing virtual worlds, but also the actual surroundings of the user, thanks to high-resolution cameras installed on it and directed to where the user is looking.

The helmet includes cameras directed at the user, aiming to reflect his facial expressions on his avatar in the virtual world, during a meeting he holds with his colleagues, for example.

During the "Connect" electronic conference organized to address the company's developments in terms of technologies and services for virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality, the founder and president of "Meta" Mark Zuckerberg said, "If the user smiles or frowns (...) his avatar is supposed to be able to reflect this expression."

"The number of apps (available on Quest) generating more than $5 million in revenue has doubled since last year," said Andrew Bosworth, chief technology officer of the US group.

The company also announced new partnerships, most notably with Microsoft, with the aim of making its platforms in the world of Metaverse more widely used.