Meta Quest 3 Announcement
Advancements in virtual reality (VR), will make experiences in the metaverse feel more seamless than ever.
Just days before Apple released the Apple Vision Pro, Meta unveiled the Meta Quest 3, the successor to its budget-friendly VR headset, Meta Quest 2, also known as the Oculus Quest.
Here’s what we know so far…
At a Glance
Higher resolution displays and pancake optic lenses
40% thinner headset that is lighter and sits closer to the face
Smoother gameplay with 2x graphics processing power
Improved natural depth perception with full-colour pass-through
Available to ship for $499.99USD in Fall 2023
Meta Quest 3 vs. Meta Quest 2
Price & Release Date:
Meta Quest 3 will ship to all companies where Meta Quest is currently supported in the Fall of 2023. Meta has released the Meta Quest 3 price for its 128GB model and lowered the price of Meta Quest 2 by $ 100 USD.
Meta Quest 3
128GB: Set to ship Fall 2023 for $499.99USD
Meta Quest 2
128GB: Available now for $299.99 USD (previously priced at $399.99 USD)
256GB: Available now for $349.99 USD (previously priced at $499.99 USD)
With a lower price point, Quest 2 has become a relatively accessible entry point into the metaverse. Although Meta has only announced the price of its 128GB Quest 3 model, more information is expected to come on September 27 at Meta Connect.
Feature Upgrades:
Meta Quest 3 is Meta’s most advanced headset yet. It promises higher-resolution graphics, a lighter feel, and a new mixed-reality technology that seamlessly blends virtual objects with a user’s physical space. Meta has announced a performance upgrade for Quest 2 and Quest Pro to enhance gameplay with a more responsive user interface and higher-resolution content.
New Games & Apps:
Meta has released new immersive reality games to complement Quest 3’s new specs and features. Asguards Wrath 2, arguably Meta’s most highly-anticipated game, is expected to push mixed-reality technology to new limits with an open world and fully-fleshed-out combat system.
Meta Quest 3 Features & Specs
VR Headset Design
Like its predecessor, the Meta Quest 3 is a standalone device, meaning users can jump into the metaverse without connecting to cables, consoles, or computers. With a 40% slimmer design, Quest 3 fits closer to the user's face making it more comfortable and noticeably lighter than the Quest 2.
It’s the first headset to feature two pancake eye lenses which will provide significantly sharper graphics and a next-generation Snapdragon chipset, delivering more than double the graphics performance of the Quest 2, resulting in much smoother and more detailed gameplay.
Touch Plus & Touch Pro Controllers
Meta redesigned Quest 3’s controls to focus on a more natural and intuitive user experience. By eliminating the outer tracking rings, Touch Pro and Touch Plus controllers feel like “a natural extension of your hands.”
TruTouch haptics technology adds another layer to the immersive reality experience. It provides real-time sensory feedback in response to virtual stimuli, allowing users to hear, touch, and feel their virtual environment more deeply. Hand Tracking allows users to immerse even deeper into the metaverse by controlling virtual objects with their hands instead of the controller.
Meta Reality Technology
Quest 3 has four cameras that improve depth perception and video pass-through, meaning users will now be able to see what’s going on in their physical environment while wearing the Quest 3 VR headset. Like an immersive digital canvas, Meta Reality builds digital objects to fit into users’ physical space rather than overlaying them.
Video pass-through also offers more life-like colours, blurring perception between the real and virtual world.
Advanced Content Catalog
With smoother gameplay, higher-resolution graphics, and improvements in mixed-reality, Meta Quest 3 games and apps will offer far more advanced renderings of real life. So far, Meta has announced over 41 new games and apps compatible with Quest 3’s latest technology. All 500+ Quest 2 games are expected to be backwards compatible with Quest 3.
What Meta Quest 3 Means for the Future of The AR/VR Market
Dubbed the ‘next iteration of the Internet’, the metaverse is still in its formative years.
Advancements in AR and VR technology have already begun to shape how we connect, how we work, and how we play. Meta Reality brings us closer to participating in digital experiences rather than just viewing them.
McKinsey & Company estimates that the value of the metaverse could rise to $5 trillion in value by 2030. And where opportunity flows, money follows. Global VC funding will fuel breakthroughs in AR and VR technology that get us closer to closing the gap between the digital and physical.
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