Meta's long-awaited Meta 2 development kit finally began shipping in late-December last year, after having been delayed about six months. While very few have received a dev kit at this point, some more information about the headset has just been announced; Depth-sensing technology from pmdtechnologies is included in the dev kit headset.

The primary product of pmdtechnologies is their time-of-flight (ToF) depth-sensors, integrated into a chip they call the PhotonICs 19k-S3. The purpose of this chip is to facilitate touchless gesture recognition.

We are beyond excited to be working with pmdtechnologies to get the most immersive augmented reality technology in the hands of developers, and can't wait to see the innovative applications they will create. This technology will change the way we communicate, create and collaborate daily, both professionally and personally. The applications and potential for this product are endless. — Ryan Pamplin, VP of Partnerships at Meta

As someone waiting to get a Meta 2, I am anxious to plug one into my brand new high-powered gaming desktop. I have every intention of giving the Meta 2 a serious run-through as soon as it arrives—but it has to get here first.

I became really curious about the announcement and began to fear that it could lead to more delays, since it said it "will" feature, not it "does." I reached out to Meta Company to find out if this was a new partnership, or is this is technology had been a part the Meta 2 dev kit for a while.

You can stop holding your breath—Meta stated that the "depth sensor tech is part of the Meta 2 Dev Kits that are currently shipping."

Have you preordered the Meta 2? Have you gotten yours yet? What do you think so far? Let us know in the comments below. And keep your browser pointed to Next Reality for all your augmented and mixed reality news.