According to what the business has announced thus far, the Meta Quest 3 will be released in late 2023.
While Meta revealed the high-end Meta Quest Pro at Meta Connect 2022, there was no mention of the highly successful Meta Quest 2.
So, when can we expect the Quest 3 to be released, and, more importantly, what can we anticipate from the next-generation virtual reality headset?
While it is still early days, there are already murmurs and leaks that offer us a general sense of what to anticipate from Quest 3, such as early release date rumors and feature leaks.
When will the Meta Quest 3 go on sale?
When Meta originally teased the Meta Quest Pro in 2021, many expected it would be the Quest 2’s successor. Of course, we now know that it’s a whole new headset with a purpose other than gaming.
The good news is that we won’t have to wait long for a proper sequel – the Meta Quest 3 is expected to be released in 2023.
In Meta’s Q4 2022 earnings call, which took held on 1 February 2023, CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated unequivocally: “Later this year, we’re going to introduce our next generation consumer headset.”
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While Zuckerberg does not specifically name the Quest 3, the reference to a “consumer headset” is revealing Since Meta views the existing Quest 2 to be a consumer-focused headset, as opposed to the Quest Pro’s professional/creative focus.
Analyst Brad Lynch believes that the updated Meta Quest 3 will be announced at Meta’s Connect 2023 event and launched shortly thereafter. If the corporation continues to its previous plan, the Quest 3 might be revealed in October 2023.
How much will the Meta Quest 3 cost?
While it’s likely far too early for Meta to have priced the future headset – especially since it won’t be available until the end of 2023 – Mark Zuckerberg has assuaged the fears of VR aficionados who were alarmed by the high $1500/£1500 price tag for the Meta Quest Pro.
While some were afraid that the high price of the Quest Pro may signal towards a higher price for the entry-level VR headset, Zuckerberg affirmed in an October 2022 interview with Stratechery that the Quest 3 will be in the “price range of $300, $400, or $500, that zone.”.
With that in mind, we anticipate the Quest 3 to be priced similarly to the $399/£399 Meta Quest 2, but we’ll update this section if we learn otherwise.
What will the Quest 3 specs and features be?
While it isn’t slated to be released for quite some time, the Quest 3 has already been the subject of a number of leaks, giving us a fair sense of what to anticipate from the future VR headset.
Improved performance
The Meta Quest 2 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR 2 platform, which provides the exceptional standalone performance we’ve come to expect from Qualcomm.
It’s logical to assume that Meta and Qualcomm will continue their partnership with the Quest 3 and the next-generation Snapdragon mobile platform, which should be available by the time the Quest 3 goes on sale.
According to VR researcher Brad Lynch, Meta might go a different approach and design its own processor for the forthcoming device. The analyst stated the business was supposed to be working on a chip with a “emphasis on a GPU that is better optimized for VR loads,” as to “not rely on a SoC that all smaller XR players would utilize”.
However, Lynch now indicates that the Quest 3 will have the next-generation Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 CPU, as well as a higher 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage, in a follow-up YouTube video in late September 2021.
While this does not provide much information, it does appear to suggest that the Quest 3 will have improved graphics performance, which should translate to better, more immersive games and apps accessible on the standalone platform.
Updated LCD displays
Another prediction from Lynch is that the Quest 3 will be a significant boost in terms of display. While Lynch initially hinted that an OLED switch was in the works, more recent reports indicate that Meta has settled on a higher-resolution, quicker LCD screen than the Quest 2.
According to Lynch, the Quest 3 will include an LCD display with a resolution of 20642208 per eye and a 120Hz refresh rate, which is both greater resolution and quicker than the top-end Quest Pro.
While the Quest 2 has had an experimental 120Hz mode for a few months, it is only available to applications and games that support it, with Meta Home and other OS features remaining at 90Hz. The increase to 120Hz will result in a noticeable increase in smoothness regardless of where you use the headset.
There isn’t much else known about the display technology, including the field of vision, but it’s nonetheless interesting.
Mixed reality
Our best look at the Meta Quest 3 comes from Lynch, who displayed leaked CAD renderings of the new headset in late September 2022, giving us a solid indication of what to anticipate from the next-gen headset – including specs confirming Meta’s intention to shift attention to mixed reality.
The movie gives valuable information into what to anticipate from the next-generation VR headset, internally dubbed Project Stinson, which appears to be a hybrid of the Quest 2 and Quest Pro.
According to the leaked CAD renderings, the headset will be more focused on mixed reality than virtual reality, with additional cameras, most likely with color passthrough features like the Quest Pro.
That makes sense in light of Zuckerberg’s pledge during the company’s Q4 2022 earnings call that the Quest 3 “would integrate Meta Reality” – the company’s term for its technology that combines virtual reality and augmented reality elements in the same gear.
It is also claimed to include the same pancake lenses as the Pro headset, allowing for a more compact form factor, and a manually adjustable IPD wheel on the bottom of the headset. That will make adjusting the IDP much easier than in the Quest 2, which requires you to remove the headset.
What is the main distinction between Quest 3 and Quest Pro? Lynch reports that the Quest 3 will lack eye and facial tracking, both of which are essential aspects of the Pro headset. It’s most likely a cost-cutting tactic, allowing Meta to keep the price of the Quest 3 low and affordable for clients – especially with inflation rates growing quickly in many locations throughout the world.
The video delves into granular information concerning components like as cooling and acoustics, so buckle up for an 18-minute unauthorized deep dive into Quest 3.
