Meta positioned the Quest Pro as a vital component of its metaverse plan just a year ago. Presently, it has revealed Quest 3 while acting as though 2022 never happened. Better screens, a quicker CPU, and revamped controllers are features of the new Meta virtual reality headgear, which is targeted at gamers. Additionally, it retails at $499.99, which is one-third of the Quest Pro’s debut price.
Early in the summer, Meta teased the Quest 3 in an attempt to set itself apart from Apple. In June, the latter revealed the Vision Pro, which has an astounding $3,500 price tag. For users of the Quest 2, the Quest 3 represents a significant upgrade even though it does not include all of the cutting-edge capabilities of Apple’s headsets. Equipped with Qualcomm’s most recent XR2 Gen 2 CPU, the smartphone boasts double the graphics performance of Quest 2. All of the current Quest games are compatible with it, but some new ones that call for more powerful hardware are in the pipeline.
Comparing the displays to the Quest 2, they are a major improvement. Each eye has a 2,064 by 2,208 LCD, and the pancake lenses—which are akin to the Quest Pro—take up less room while improving the quality of the image. Although the headset’s footprint is less now than it was with the Quest 2, it weighs 12 grams more at 515 grams. As more individuals wear the Quest 3 for longer lengths of time, that might become an issue. The Quest 3 boasts a much-improved passthrough mode that can spare you from continuously taking it off to see what’s going on in the real world, thanks to new full-color cameras. However, Meta claims that battery life is still a little over two hours, which is on the short side.
There was also an update of the controllers. The sensor ring that encircled the Quest 2 controller buttons is no longer present. The Quest 3 tracks the sophisticated controllers in space using infrared. Meta adds that for more immersion, the haptics have been improved. Additionally, hand tracking is supported, although most games need a controller.
The Quest 3 is more stable than the Quest Pro thanks to its more compact design than the Quest 2, which it replaces. While Meta originally intended the Quest Pro to be used for those who were sedentary, it is now marketing the Quest 3 as a gaming and fitness device. Meta is including a copy of Asgard’s Wrath 2, a premium VR game that releases this winter, with every purchase of the Quest 3. The Quest 3 still grants you access to Horizon Worlds, but these days the metaverse is probably quite empty.
The Quest 3 is available for pre-order from Meta for $500 with 128GB of storage. For an extra $150, you can get an upgrade to 512GB. On October 10, the device will start shipping.