The #1 XR Blog in the World
- English
- Sign In
In this article, you will read all about the upcoming Meta Quest 3 VR headset launch, announcement and release date, its cost and pricing and finally its specifications, functionalities and features.
The Meta Quest 3 is the upcoming VR headset from Meta (former Facebook) and is the successor to the best-selling VR headset in history: Oculus / Meta Quest 2. The new VR headset from Meta is also internally codenamed “Project Stinson”.
The Meta Quest 3 was announced just before Apple unveiled their mixed reality headset: Apple Vision Pro. We can expect the Meta Quest 3 to start shipping as soon as Fall 2023.
With the announcement of the Meta Quest 3, the new Meta headset was also revealed to cost $499 for the 128GB version. As of yet, we don’t know how much the upgraded 256GB edition will cost.
The new Meta Quest 3 look distinctly like a successor to the iconic Oculus Quest 2. Thus, the Quest 3 is rounder with three noticeable cutouts for tracking sensors. It is also slimmer and lighter enabled by the pancake lens. In fact, the computer-aided design from immersive tech leaker Brad Lynch was spot on for what the Meta Quest 3 ended up looking like.
Following the recent multi-year partnership between Meta and Qualcomm, Meta Quest 3 will feature the new Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset, replacing the popular XR2 Gen 1 SoC processor in most VR headsets today. This new processor will be a standalone VR beast, delivering 2.5 times the processing and twice the GPU power as the Quest 2.
Since the Oculus Quest 2 in 2020, display technology has come a long way. For the Meta Quest 3, the device will feature pancake lenses, enabling a slimmer and lighter design while also delivering better clarity and higher immersion.
The Meta Quest 3 will also follow in the footsteps of new mixed reality headsets and feature a dedicated depth sensor. Such a tracker increases mixed reality performance in 3D mapping the environment around the user, meaning digital objects blend perfectly into the real world.
Although third-generation Oculus Touch controllers for the Oculus Quest 2 provide wider space and enhanced haptic feedback. However, the new Meta Quest 3 Touch Plus controllers will not have the pesky tracking ring due to improved tracking from the Quest 3 itself. While internal tracking will be reserved for the more expensive Quest Pro controllers. Luckily, if you have Quest Pro controllers around, the upcoming Meta Quest 3 will be compatible with them.
Finally, the new Touch Plus controllers will have the TruTouch enhanced haptics system featuring three sensors in the triggers, thumb rest and grip to isolate rumbling in your hands.
As indicated by the recent Meta Quest Pro being a devkit headset, the Meta Store will see a significant presence of productivity applications and enterprise ecosystem by the time Meta Quest 3 launches. The reasoning is based on the competition. To entice users the Meta Store must diversify as the competing VR platform, SteamVR, boasts the largest consumer VR content library.
Below are what we know or can expect for the specifications of the Meta Quest 3.
| Meta Quest 3 | |
| Resolution | 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye |
| Display engine | Single LCD |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Lenses | *Pancake |
| Field-of-view | 104º Horizontal (rendered), 97º Horizontal (visible) |
| IPD Adjustment Range | *Automatic IPD |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 |
| GPU | Adreno 740 with 2.4 Teraflops |
| RAM | 12GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 128GB / 256GB (No SD Card slot) |
| Connectors | USB-C, WiFi 6E, Quest Link, and Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Weight | TBA |
| Battery Life | *3+ hours |
| Tracking | Standalone, 6DoF inside-out with hand tracking from 4 optical internal and external cameras. |
| Mixed Reality | Yes, enabled by dedicated LiDAR depth sensor |
| Controllers | 6 DoF Optical inside-out tracking |
| Interactivity | Controller and hand gesture |
| Audio | 3D audio from integrated headset speakers and a built-in microphone array |
| Video Passthrough | Full-color stereo video passthrough |
| MSRP | $499 |
| Shipping date | Fall 2023 |
*Estimated
Despite Meta splitting up its augmented and virtual reality departments, the Meta Quest 3 will be a mixed reality headset. We expect VR headsets to pivot into mixed reality.
Similarly, Meta Quest 3 will likely become available in Germany again. Currently, Meta does not sell its VR headsets in Germany. However, we expect this to change as Meta is building its Metaverse in Europe is a strong indicator of this.
All in all, Meta Quest 3 could further boost Mark Zuckerberg’s vision of building the Metaverse and elevate people’s interaction with their friends and family members.
All we can do now is wait for the release in Fall 2023 and experience how Oculus Quest 3 pans out.
According to an article by TechCrunch, consumers around the world downloaded the Oculus App 2 million times between 23rd-29th December 2021.
This growing interest among consumers is social proof for Meta to keep building better hardware and experiences for the audience.
All we can do now is wait and watch to see how Oculus Quest 3 pans out next year.
Jakob Pii is Writer at VR Expert and currently lives in the UK. He started his career in VR gaming in 2015 and has stayed in XR since, from exposure therapy in VR to 360-degree video documentaries. He is fascinated by how emerging technologies change how we live, play and work.
