Meta’s highly anticipated next-generation headset has been unveiled, and the company has exciting plans to reveal more details about it during its Connect event scheduled for September 27th.
In a recent Instagram post by Mark Zuckerberg, Meta made an official announcement regarding the upcoming release of its Quest 3 VR headset.
Scheduled to launch this fall, the Quest 3 will be available in a 128GB version priced at $499.99. Additionally, Meta will offer an additional storage option for users seeking more space, although the pricing for this option has not been specified. Notably, the Quest 3 boasts a 40 percent lighter design compared to its predecessor, the Quest 2. Furthermore, it is equipped with a new Snapdragon chip that delivers twice the graphics performance.
The Quest 3 is designed to be compatible with the Quest 2’s games, which is advantageous considering that the Quest 2 will remain available at a reduced price. Meta has announced that starting June 4th, the Quest 2’s price will be reduced by $100, making the 128GB version available for $299.99 and the 256GB version for $349.99. If you are interested in the Quest 3, you can sign up for more information.
Furthermore, both the Quest 2 and the higher-end Quest Pro will receive an upcoming software update that enhances their CPU and GPU performance and introduces Dynamic Resolution Scaling.
This announcement arrives just ahead of Apple’s anticipated unveiling of its long-rumored mixed reality headset and coincides with Meta’s showcase of games on its VR platform, which is scheduled to begin later today at 1 PM ET. Meta has teased the presentation of an AAA adventure title during the showcase and has promised to share more details during the annual Meta Connect event set for September 27th.
Earlier this week, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg provided insights into the Quest 3 based on his hands-on experience with the device. He highlighted its lighter and more comfortable design, along with the addition of new sensors and redesigned controllers. In the video, it is evident that the Quest 3 features three distinct sensor areas on the front, differentiating it from previous versions. These areas house four cameras, evenly split between the left and right sides, including two full-color cameras, two standard cameras, and a central depth sensor that could enhance the headset’s augmented reality (AR) capabilities.
The announcement also showcases the new Touch Plus controllers, which incorporate TruTouch haptics for immersive experiences. Notably, the controllers no longer feature the rings used for positional tracking. While specific details about the sensor setup were not provided in this announcement, Meta confirmed that the depth sensor will interact with the controllers, and hand tracking will be supported out of the box for the Quest 3.
