The Meta Quest 2 will finally have a successor: the Meta Quest 3. The Quest 2 was highly praised for its blending of the physical and virtual worlds with mixed reality, and after nearly 3 years, an upgrade is finally on the cards. In a post published on the official Meta website, it was announced that Meta Quest 3 will be coming out this Fall, and we’ve now got that anticipated release date of the 10th of October. This new generation of VR headsets will promise higher resolution, stronger performance, redesigned controllers, and more. Here’s everything we know about the Meta Quest 3’s release date, its specs, and its price in preparation for its launch.
Meta Quest 3 release date
Following the initial tease of ‘Fall 2023’, Meta has given the Quest 3 VR headset a release date of October the 10th 2023. The company’s Connect event on September 27th and 28th focused on AI and virtual, mixed, and augmented realities this year, and shared the full spectrum of details of its latest VR venture. This included a release date of October 10, as well as the tech specs and features of the device.
Meta Quest 3 specs rumors
The Meta Quest 3 brings many performance upgrades to the VR market, with Meta quoting the Quest 3 as its most powerful headset yet. Bringing a high-resolution 2064×2208 pixel display and even pancake optics, visual content will look even better. It will also boast a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset built in association with Qualcomm Technologies, delivering GPU processing power that doubles that of the Quest 2’s performance.
The Quest 3 will be a standalone device, meaning you won’t have to connect it to a PC or any other device to enjoy the 500+ VR games and experiences on offer. Additionally, the Quest 3 is also getting high-fidelity color Passthrough. This, combined with machine learning and spatial understanding, will make the overall experience more immersive by enabling you to clearly view your surroundings via a camera. Thus, you can now have mixed reality interactions with the physical and virtual world simultaneously.
Meta’s latest headset will also be getting some comfort and control upgrades. Compared to the Quest 2, the Quest 3 features a 40% slimmer optic to reduce weight, making it more comfortable and lightweight than previous devices. The new model’s controllers are also receiving an enhancement, taking a completely different approach from the Quest 2’s controllers. The first thing that’s changed is the outer tracking rings, which have been completely removed for a more ergonomic profile. The new controllers also feature TruTouch haptics from Touch Pro to allegedly enable you to “unlock experiences that you can feel”.
In terms of display, the Meta Quest 3 stars two RGB cameras with 18 PPD, for 10X the resolution of Quest 2. The mixed-reality visuals will pop with the 4K+ Infinite Displaym with 25PPD and 1218 PPI bringing the best resolution across the entire Quest line of devices.
In addition to all this, we also know that in anticipation of the launch of the Meta’s new device, the price of the Quest 2 has dropped to $299.99 for the 128 GB SKU. For a more in-depth comparison of the two devices, you can read here for a rundown of the Meta Quest 2 vs Meta Quest 3, as well as the Quest 3 vs the Quest Pro to see how it goes up against the higher-end headset.
Meta Quest 3 price explained
Meta has revealed the price of Meta Quest 128 GB, which will be priced at $499.99. There isn’t a middle-ground 256 GB option, but an impressive 512 GB storage variant for $649.99. The Quest 3 headset can now be pre-ordered through the Meta website, and at Best Buy for US customers.
For a limited time, you can get the Quest 3 headset in a game bundle including Asgard’s Wrath 2, a sequel to the VR fantasy action game Asgard’s Wrath. The 512GB option is also worth considering, as Meta is adding in a six-month free trial to Meta Quest+, its VR subscription service that gets you two free games a month.
Conclusion
Meta’s latest VR venture, the Quest 3, is all set to release on the 10th of October 2023, priced at $499.99 for the 128 GB, and $649.99 for the 512 GB variant. We’ll have reviews and updates on the Meta Quest 3, so make sure to check back soon for more info.