Unique: Meta’s head of augmented actuality software program stepping down

NEW YORK, Nov 16 (Reuters) – Meta’s (META.O) head of augmented actuality software program is stepping down from his function, an organization spokesperson instructed Reuters on Friday, elevating questions in regards to the firm’s progress in growing a customized working system for its deliberate AR glasses.

VP of Engineering Don Field introduced the tip of his tenure at Meta internally this week, with out elaborating on what he would do subsequent, in accordance with a supply conversant in the matter.

A Meta spokesperson confirmed Field could be leaving the corporate on the finish of this week and mentioned he was doing so for private causes. There could be no change in product roadmap because of his determination, she added.

Field didn’t reply to requests for remark.

The departure of Field, a veteran engineer with expertise constructing main expertise techniques from their infancy, could possibly be a setback to progress on the working system, a key element of Meta’s AR glasses venture, the supply instructed Reuters.

Meta has been planning to ship a primary era of its AR glasses by subsequent yr, though these are meant for use solely internally and by a choose group of builders, the supply mentioned. It goals to ship its first AR glasses to customers in 2027.

The Meta spokesperson declined to handle the roadmap or whether or not the OS that Field’s group was constructing could be within the first era AR glasses.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has described AR glasses as a type of magnum opus as he works to construct {hardware} that may present entry to an immersive digital “metaverse” and substitute laptops and cellular units.

The pinnacle of the corporate’s metaverse-oriented Actuality Labs division, CTO Andrew Bosworth, mentioned not too long ago that Meta was nonetheless going through “fairly just a few challenges” in constructing an AR product that it may deliver to market and that “these issues are nonetheless just a few years away – just a few, to place it calmly.”

The corporate has additionally struggled to construct customized silicon for its AR/VR merchandise and laid off some employees in its Actuality Labs customized silicon unit FAST final month.

Meta initially employed Field in 2021 to chart a path ahead after the failure of its XROS venture, which aimed to create a unified customized working system for its digital actuality headsets, Ray-Ban Tales good glasses and deliberate augmented actuality glasses, the supply mentioned.

Field broke up the 300-person XROS unit into devoted groups for every gadget line early final yr and personally took over the group targeted on AR software program, in accordance with each the supply and Field’s LinkedIn profile.

Previous to becoming a member of Meta, Field had labored at Microsoft since 2002. In his closing function at Microsoft, he ran engineering for combined actuality, which concerned growing software program for the HoloLens2 headset and associated AR/VR companies.

Field is thought for having led the creation of the Xbox One working system and later heading Microsoft’s core working system group, which works throughout all Home windows merchandise.

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.