The Meta Quest 3 is not anticipated to reach this 12 months, however the extra reasonably priced headset from Meta remains to be coming, so we’ve gathered up each leak and rumor we may discover on the maybe now combined actuality headset that will help you resolve if it’ll be definitely worth the wait.
We’ll get into a little bit extra element in our launch date part beneath, however we could possibly be nearly a 12 months away from the launch of the Quest 3, so if you would like one thing this vacation season you’ll want to try our Meta Quest Professional vs. Quest 2 face-off or our finest VR headsets.
With that preamble apart, right here’s a have a look at every thing we all know to date concerning the Meta Quest 3, together with the anticipated launch date, pricing, options, specs, and extra.
Meta Quest 3 launch date
With all eyes on the Meta Quest Professional, the query of when the Quest 3 would possibly arrive has been on the again burner for a while now. With the announcement of the Quest Professional and Meta Join 2022 within the rearview mirror now, we will flip to Meta’s extra reasonably priced headset once more.
Sadly, there’s not rather a lot to go on simply but. We all know it isn’t arriving this 12 months due to a Stratechery interview with Mark Zuckerberg in October the place the Meta CEO confirmed {that a} Quest 3 could be coming, however “it’s not this 12 months.”
That might imply that we’ll be ready till October of 2023 for the following Meta Join. Nevertheless, the unique Oculus Quest (RIP to the far superior title for this product) was introduced on the F8 convention, which is held within the spring. Meta didn’t maintain the occasion in 2022, however assuming it returns in 2023 and falls in the identical April-June window it has prior to now, that might be one other doubtless launch date.
Meta Quest 3 worth
As soon as once more turning to the Stratechery interview, Zuckerberg instructed them “there shall be a Quest 3 and that’s within the worth vary of $300, $400, or $500, that zone.” If I have been inclined to wager on such issues, I’d closely wager on the $400 to $500 vary provided that Meta bumped the bottom worth of the Quest 2 from $299 to $399 again in July, with the 256GB model going from $399 to $499.
There may be little doubt that Meta was taking a loss on the Quest 2 {hardware} at its earlier worth and with one thing of a stranglehold on the standalone VR market, Meta has little cause to drop again all the way down to that vary once more.
Meta Quest 3 options
The Meta Quest 3 received’t attain the characteristic (or worth) heights of the Meta Quest Professional, however in keeping with a YouTube video posted by analyst Brad Lynch, there are many design and have updates that the Quest 3 shall be borrowing from its upmarket sibling.
In keeping with Lynch, the Quest 3 will break from its predecessor to turn into a combined actuality AR/VR headset, much like the Quest Professional and the long-rumored Apple AR/VR headset. Given the significance and a spotlight being positioned on AR within the tech realm, this shouldn’t come as an enormous shock. Meta owns the VR marketplace for probably the most half and can look to do the identical with the AR market if it might probably.
The CAD drawings in Lynch’s video present a design not wholly dissimilar to the Quest 2, with probably the most noticeable change being the addition of a four-camera array with a depth sensor on the entrance of the headset for the aforementioned AR performance.
A transfer to pancake optics, seen within the Meta Quest Professional and PICO 4, ought to permit for a lift to the decision within the Quest 3 whereas sustaining a comparatively skinny profile. The Quest 3 must also deliver again an IPD regulate wheel to raised accommodate completely different eye distances.
Talking of eyes, one characteristic that shall be misplaced from the Quest Professional is eye and face monitoring, though which may be excellent news to some that discover that concept to be excessively intrusive.
One other speculative characteristic based mostly on the CAD drawings is help for the Quest Professional dock and probably Quest Professional controllers. That is based mostly on a set of Pogo pin connectors on the underside of the Quest 3 that match these of the Quest Professional.
Meta Quest 3 specs
Lynch additionally claimed to have insider info on the {hardware} contained in the Quest 3. Unsurprisingly, the SoC inside ought to be a second-gen Snapdragon XR2 SoC. Qualcomm is the plain selection for a tool this small that should hit a excessive stage of efficiency and energy effectivity.
Different notable upgrades may embody double the RAM of the Quest 2 (6GB to 12GB) and a storage leap to 512GB. Presumably, the storage could be for the higher-tier mannequin with the bottom mannequin shifting to 256GB, however that’s hypothesis.
Outlook
That’s every thing we all know to date about Meta Quest 3. Provided that we’re at a minimal roughly 6 months away from a launch and probably nearer to a full 12 months, that is truly a fairly full have a look at the {hardware}. Nevertheless, we’re leaning closely on a single supply, so no matter Lynch’s credibility we shall be in search of corroboration of items of his report to enhance our confidence.
The affirmation that pricing ought to stay at or beneath $500 is encouraging. Whereas not low cost, after the $1,500 worth for the Quest Professional and rumors that Apple’s AR/VR headset shall be no less than $2,000, this might nonetheless be simply probably the most reasonably priced mainstream choice.
The Quest 2 stays our best choice for the finest VR headset, so we’ll be retaining a cautious eye out for any further rumors relating to the Quest 3 as we head into 2023. In the meantime, in case you can’t wait till Could and even October of subsequent 12 months, we count on to see Black Friday offers on the Quest 2, so bookmark that web page to maintain checking for the bottom worth of the season.
