The Meta Quest 3 is on the way – but not until 2023, from what the company has said so far.
While Meta announced the high-end Meta Quest Pro at Meta Connect 2022, there was no sign of the successor to the hugely popular Meta Quest 2.
So when should we expect to see the Quest 3 and, more importantly, what can we expect from the next-gen VR headset?
Although it’s still early days, there are already whispers and leaks giving us a rough idea of what to expect from Quest 3, including early release date rumors. and feature leaks.
When Meta started teasing the Meta Quest Pro in 2021, many thought it would be the successor to the Quest 2. Of course, we now know that this is an entirely different headset with a purpose beyond the game.
The good news is that we don’t have too long to wait for a true successor – a 2023 release seems increasingly likely for Meta Quest 3.
A 2023 release was promised during Meta’s Q4 2022 earnings call – which took place on February 1, 2023 – when CEO Mark Zuckerberg made it quite clear: “Later this year, we will launch our next-generation consumer headset.”
While Zuckerberg doesn’t explicitly mention the Quest 3, the reference to a “consumer headset” is telling – Meta views the current Quest 2 as a consumer-focused headset, unlike the professional/creative orientation of the Quest Pro.
A 2023 version is supported by analyst Brad Lynch, which suggests that the Meta Quest 3 update will be revealed during Meta’s Connect 2023 event and released soon after. If the company sticks to the same schedule as in recent years, it could mean a October 2023 reveal for quest 3.
While it’s probably far too e arly for Meta to price the upcoming headset – especially if it’s not due until late 2023 – Mark Zuckerberg has calmed the nerves of spooked VR fans by the hefty price tag of $1500/£1500 for the Meta Quest Pro.
While some worried that the Quest Pro’s high price tag might indicate a higher price tag for the entry-level VR headset, Zuckerberg confirmed in an October 2022 interview with Stratechery that the Quest 3 would be in the “range of price of $300, $400”. , or $500, that area. »
With that in mind, we’re expecting the Quest 3 to cost a similar $399 / £399 Meta Quest 2, but we’ll update this section if we hear anything different.
What will Quest 3 specs and features be?
Although not planned for quite some time, the Quest 3 has already been leaked several times, which gives us a good idea of what to expect from the next VR headset.
Improved performance
The Meta Quest 2 sports Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR 2 platform, delivering the impressive standalone performance we’ve all come to know.
It would be safe to assume that Meta and Qualcomm would continue this relationship with the Quest 3 and the next-generation Snapdragon mobile platform, which should be available by the time the Quest 3 goes into production.
VR analyst Brad Lynch initially suggested that Meta might go a different route, instead developing its own chipset for the upcoming headset. The analyst claimed that the company was working on a chip with an “emphasis on a GPU better designed for VR workloads”, so as to “not rely on a SoC that all small XR players will use”.
However, in a late September 2021 follow-up YouTube video, Lynch now suggests that the Quest 3 will indeed sport the next-gen Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset alongside a boosted 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage.
While that doesn’t give us much to say, it does seem to confirm that the Quest 3 will have better graphics performance, which should translate to better, more immersive games and apps available on the st andalone platform.
Updated LCD screens
Another prediction from Lynch suggests that the Quest 3 will offer a pretty big upgrade in the display department. While Lynch initially suggested a move to OLED was on the cards, more recent leaks suggest that Meta has instead opted for a higher resolution and faster LCD than the Quest 2.
According to Lynch, the Quest 3 will sport an LCD screen with a resolution of 2064×2208 per eye and an increased refresh rate of 120Hz – that’s both higher resolution and faster than the top-end Quest Pro, which bodes well for consumers.
While the Quest 2 has offered an experimental 120Hz mode for the past few months, it’s exclusive to apps and games that support it, with Meta Home and other OS elements still rendered at 90. Hz. Jumping to 120Hz will bring a noticeable smooth jump no matter where you use the headphones.
Not much else is known about the display tech, including the field of view, but it’s exciting nonetheless.
mixed reality
Our best look at the Meta Quest 3 also comes from Lynch, who showed off leaked CAD renders of the upcoming headset in late September 2022, giving us a good idea of what to expect from the next-gen headset – including specs that confirm that Meta plans to shift the focus to mixed reality.
The video provides some significant insight into what to expect from the next-gen VR headset, dubbed Project Stinson internally, which essentially appears to be a combination of the Quest 2 and the Quest Pro.
Leaked CAD renders seem to suggest the headset will be more mixed reality focused than just VR with more cameras, likely with color passthrough capabilities like the Quest Pro.
That makes sense in light of the company’s Q4 2022 earnings call, when Zuckerberg promised the Quest 3 “will feature Meta Reality” – the company’s name for its technology combining VR features. and augmented reality in the same hardware.
It’s also said to have the same pancake lenses as the Pro headset, allowing for a more compact form factor, and it looks like there will also be a manually adjustable IPD dial on the bottom of the headset. This will make adjusting the IDP much easier than the Quest 2, which requires you to remove the headset.
The big difference between the Quest 3 and the Quest Pro? Lynch says the Quest 3 won’t include eye or face tracking, two crucial features of the Pro headset. This is probably a cost-cutting measure more than anything, allowing Meta to keep the price of the Quest 3 low and more affordable for customers, especially with inflation levels rapidly rising in many regions. of the world.
The video goes into granular detail on things like cooling and audio, so sit back and get ready for an unofficial 18-minute deep dive into Quest 3.
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