Ahead of what is expected to be the debut of Apple’s own pricy AR headset at WWDC 2023, Meta has just revealed its anticipated Meta Quest 3 VR headset through Mark Zuckerberg’s Instagram and Facebook accounts (and now its own YouTube channel). The headset comes with redesigned controllers, has full-colour passthrough, and is purportedly 40 per cent thinner with twice the processing power.
The biggest reason to upgrade would be that the Quest 3 is promised to be 40 per cent thinner than the Quest 2, which means it will be considerably lighter, too, and more comfortable to wear for longer gaming sessions, without its head strap needing to feel as tight. On the inside, in addition to higher resolution screens, the Meta Quest 3 boasts “more than twice the graphical performance” of the Quest 2 thanks to a “next-gen Snapdragon chipset” providing “two times the graphics performance,” according to the official Meta post.
Although many expect Apple’s unannounced headset to be an augmented reality headset, mixing the real world with additional virtual content, the Meta Quest 3, the latest in a line that has traditionally been VR-focused, is also introducing full-colour passthrough video, which means that it will be better suited for mixing real world and virtual content. Previous versions of the Meta Quest only pass through grainy, monochromatic video to help users peek at their surroundings without having to remove the headset completely.
The Meta Quest 3 will also include redesigned wireless controllers with “TruTouch haptics.” The controllers appear to have a very similar design to what’s included with the expensive Meta Quest Pro that was released in late 2023.
If rumours are true, the Meta Quest 3 will definitely arrive with a price tag much cheaper than Apple’s own AR goggles, but it remains to be seen if Apple has finally come up with a good justification as to why everyone needs an AR/VR headset besides gaming, which is where Meta already has a huge lead. If not, the Quest 3 seems like it could help Meta remain highly competitive in this space, even with Apple throwing its hat into the ring.
The Meta Quest 3 will cost $829.99 in Australia, with a release date set for Autumn 2023.