Introduction
The upcoming Meta Quest 3, Meta’s latest virtual reality headset, promises to offer a significant upgrade over its predecessor. This new headset will feature a refreshed design, a 40% slimmer overall design, and a new Snapdragon chipset to power its virtual reality and mixed reality experiences1.
Meta Oculus Quest 3 Price Point
According to Meta, the Quest 3 will start at $499, which is $100 more than the Quest 2’s original price of $399. Despite the increased price, it’s worth noting that the Quest 3 doesn’t require a games console to power it, unlike the PSVR 2 which comes at $549 and needs a $500 games console. There is no official UK or Australian pricing yet, but it’s expected to be around £499 and somewhere between AU$629 and $700 for Australia1.
As a result of the Quest 3’s upcoming launch, Meta has announced that it will reduce the price of the Quest 2 back to $299 for the 128GB version and $349 for the 256GB model1.
Meta Quest 3 Specifications and Features
The Quest 3 will have a base storage option of 128GB, with an additional storage option for those who want more space. It’s not yet clear what this additional storage will be or how much it will cost, but speculations suggest a 256GB or 512GB model may be available1.
The headset will use a next-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, which is expected to be customized for the Quest 3. The exact type of this chip is still unknown. With this chip, the Quest 3 will have twice the graphics performance, meaning users can expect higher-quality visuals in VR games and experiences1.
No official specs about resolution or refresh rate were revealed, but it’s expected to have a resolution of 4,128 by 2,208 pixels or 2,064 by 2,208 pixels per eye. This would not only harness the greater GPU power but also deliver a boost on the 1,920 by 1,832 per eye resolution of the Quest 2. The refresh rate will almost certainly start at 120Hz out of the box, but the Quest 3 might push to 144Hz in some VR games or with post-launch updates1.
One exciting upgrade is High-fidelity color Passthrough, which allows users to see the real world around them in full color through the headset, creating limitless possibilities to explore. However, it’s important to note that the Quest 3 will not have eye-tracking tech, which means no PSVR 2 foveated rendering1.
Design
The Quest 3 has been completely redesigned from the “inside out” according to Meta. Despite maintaining the same overall aesthetic as the Quest 2, the new model is 40% slimmer, has a bold trio of pill-shaped cameras/sensors on the front of the headset, and uses an improved flexible material for the head strap. An additional button on the bottom of the headset, likely a wheel to adjust IPD, should be a significant quality-of-life improvement over the Quest 2. The face shield also appears to have been redesigned and could better block out any external light1.
Release Date of Meta Oculus Quest 3
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the Meta Quest 3 will be released this fall. More details will be revealed at the Meta Connect conference on September 27. From this, it can be posited that the Quest 3 will be released or have pre-orders go live around that time, with Meta Quest 3 expected to be released this fall, with further details to be revealed at the Meta Connect conference on September 27, 2023. It’s speculated that the Quest 3 could be released or have pre-orders go live around this date, with a potential release in October 2023, based on the release date of the Meta Quest 2.
In terms of pricing, the Meta Quest 3 will start at $499 in the United States, which is $100 more than the current price of the Quest 2. There’s no official U.K. or Australian pricing yet, but it is expected to be around £499 in the U.K., and maybe somewhere between AU$629 and AU$700 in Australia.
The Meta Oculus Quest 3 will feature several improvements over its predecessor. It will have a refreshed design, being 40% slimmer than the Quest 2. It will also feature a new Snapdragon chipset, which is expected to offer twice the graphics performance. This is likely to provide higher quality visuals in VR games and experiences.
The base storage option for the Quest 3 will be 128GB, with an additional storage option available for those who want more space. The specifics of this extra storage option haven’t been disclosed yet, but it might be a 256GB or 512GB model.
The Quest 3 is expected to have a resolution of either 4,128 by 2,208 pixels or 2,064 by 2,208 pixels per eye, which would be a boost over the Quest 2’s resolution. The refresh rate will likely start at 120Hz out of the box, but the Quest 3 might push to 144Hz in some VR games or with post-launch updates.
A significant new feature is the High-fidelity color Passthrough. This means you can see the real world around you in full color through the headset, unlike the monochrome display in the PSVR 2. The Quest 3 could let wearers interact with virtual and real worlds simultaneously, creating limitless possibilities to explore.
However, it’s important to note that some of the specifics regarding the Quest 3’s release date, price in different regions, and tech specs are still not officially confirmed and are based on predictions and expectations. More details will likely be released at the upcoming Meta Connect conference.
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