Meta cancels this year's F8 conference to focus on Connect
Meta is not hosting its annual F8 conference this year, but will still be hosting a Virtual and Augmented Reality (AR) Connect later this year.
"As in years past, we are taking a short break from programming and will not host F8 in 2022 while we prepare for new initiatives that focus on the next chapter of the Internet as well as the next chapter of our company: the creation of the Metaverse.“, Meta said in her blog.
F8 is usually held in the first half of the year, from March to June, although F8 2011 was in September and was not held at all in 2009, 2012 and 2013.
F8 is mainly focused on the traditional Meta business; Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. This hasn't been the place for VR or AR announcements since F8 2019, when the Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift S launched and teased body-tracking research.
Since September 2014, Facebook has been hosting a separate annual VR and AR conference later this year, originally called Oculus Connect. Consumer Samsung Gear VR launched on Connect 2, Oculus Touch controllers were introduced on Connect 3, Oculus Go was announced on Oculus Connect 4, and Oculus Quest was announced on Oculus Connect 5. Controller-less hand tracking and Oculus Link PC VR for Quest were announced at Connect 6, as was the Horizon Metaverse platform.
In 2020, Facebook renamed Oculus Connect to simply "Connect", also dropping the number sequence. Quest 2 was announced and launched at Connect 2020. At last year's Connect, Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook's Meta rebrand, unveiled the upcoming high-end Project Cambria headset, and teased a prototype AR glasses.
Every year on Connect, too, almost always, Chief Scientist Michael Abrash showcases research and development towards the long-term future of VR and AR, technologies that won't be used in products for many years, if ever.
Meta confirmed that Connect will continue "later this year," stating that "we will share the latest on our VR, AR, and Metaverse platform offerings."