Meta's Quest 3 will be available on October 10 starting at $500 / €550

Meta's Quest 3 will be available on October 10 starting at $500 / €550

28 Sep 2023 | Rasmus Larsen |

Meta (Facebook) is announcing the Quest 3 mixed reality headset for a second time and has confirmed that it will be available on October 10 starting at $500. Meta seemingly got a little anxious this summer when it pre-announced the Quest 3 headset a few days before Apple's announcement of the Vision Pro.

The new Meta Quest 3. Photo: Meta

At an event this week, Meta provided more details on the headset but still tried to hide the fact that Quest 3 uses conventional LCD displays with subpar picture quality. LCD is not mentioned once in the press release, specifications or otherwise. - "Our 4K+ Infinite Display***** achieves a nearly 30% leap in resolution compared to Meta Quest 2. You get 25 pixels per degree and 1,218 pixels per inch for the best resolution across the entire Meta Quest line," said Meta adding that the two displays deliver 2064×2208 resolution per eye up to 90Hz, or 120Hz "experimental". Also read: Apple Vision Pro: Micro-OLEDs with 3800x3000 pixels & 90/96Hz – a paradigm shift The display system delivers a nearly 15% wider field of view compared to Quest 2, according to the company.

Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip

Meta confirmed that Quest 3 features the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip with "double the graphic processing power of Meta Quest 2". The chip delivers down to 12 ms average latency for video see-through in color, according to Qualcomm, although this is the best case and actual latency will depend on a number of factors.

100 new or upgraded games

Meta is positioning it as a mixed reality headset with a heavy focus on gaming. Over 100 new and upgraded titles are coming before the end of this year, in addition to the backwards compatibility with Quest 2 content. - "There are many more big names and IPs coming, like Assassin’s Creed® Nexus VR, Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, and SEGA’s Samba de Amigo. And hit immersive platform Roblox just launched on the Quest Store today, so you can tap into over 50,000 experiences optimized for VR. In LEGO® Bricktales, launching December 7, you’ll embark on an epic adventure across a world of beautiful LEGO® diorama biomes crafted brick by brick," said Meta.

LEGO Bricktales is coming to Meta Quest 3. Photo: Meta

Xbox game streaming will arrive in December but considering the amount of latency seen on Smart TVs, we do have our concerns about how it will work in VR. - "And with Xbox Cloud Gaming coming to Meta Quest in December, you’ll be able to play Halo Infinite, Minecraft Legends, Forza Horizon 5, and hundreds of other high-quality Xbox games—all on a massive 2D screen you can take with you anywhere." Meta highlighted that a new privacy feature is the external LED that notifies bystanders when the external camera is in use, but the company did not address the major privacy concern surrounding its software and tracking of people when using the headset. Meta Quest 3 is available for pre-order now on meta.com and will ship in select countries on October 10. The 128GB version costs $500 / £480 / €550 while the 512GB version costs $650 / £620 / €700. A number of new accessories are also available.

Meta Quest 3 – specifications

Power Advanced hardware stack and the first headset with the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, delivering double the GPU processing power for faster load times and more seamless gameplay compared to Meta Quest 2. This brings enough power to support heavy applications like fast-action gaming, seamless full-color, high-resolution passthrough, and so much more. Storage 128GB and 512GB options. Enables continued exploration of the vast library of titles. Mixed Reality 2 RGB cameras with 18 PPD, for 10X the resolution of Quest 2 and 2X the resolution of Quest Pro in passthrough. Delivers full-color, high-fidelity views of your surroundings while you see virtual objects appear in your physical space. Accurate depth projection and room mapping gives you freedom to move throughout your space and interact with virtual characters or objects in the room around you. Audio Integrated stereo speakers with 3D spatial audio places you in your space with 40% louder audio range, bass range and optimal L/R matching capabilities. DRAM 8GB. 33% more memory compared with Meta Quest 2, giving you more support to play your favorite apps with optimal performance. Ergonomics Strap Design Soft adjustable strap accommodates a variety of head shapes and hairstyles; Hard strap is available and sold separately. Depth adjustment Easily adjust the facial interface closer or farther from your face to improve comfort and field of view. Headset Weight 515 grams. Pancake optics create a 40% slimmer optic profile* for more comfortable wear. As compared to Quest 2 excluding the facial interface. Display & Optics Technology* Display Resolution 2064x2208 pixels per eye enhances resolution by nearly 30% compared to Meta Quest 2 for next-level clarity and lifelike graphics. 4K+ Infinite Display with 25PPD and 1218 PPI brings the best resolution across the entire Quest line of devices. Refresh Rate 90Hz, 120Hz (experimental). Field of View 110 degrees horizontal and 96 degrees vertical. This extends your peripheral vision to let you see more of virtual worlds, all at once, for the most immersive experiences yet. Optics Pancake lens provides a slimmer optic profile* without compromising the depth of your visual immersion. Increased sharpness by 25% in center FOV (~70% sharper in periphery), with significantly less stray or scattered light artifacts. As compared to Quest 2 excluding the facial interface. Lens adjustment* Gives you more precise lens positioning and smooth pupil distance adjustment, where you can customize the distance between the lenses to enhance your fit and picture clarity (Inter Pupillary Distance (IPD) ranges from 58mm-71mm). Eye Tracking Not featured. Meta Quest Touch Plus Controllers Comfort Play comfortably with a streamlined, ring-free design. Experience more natural movement and precise input as if they’re a natural extension of your hands. Haptics TruTouch variable haptics provide tactile feedback, enabling a more holistic range of in-experience sensations so you can touch, move and react realistically within virtual environments. Experience Mixed reality passthrough 2 RGB Color cameras and depth projector for improved depth and resolution. Direct Touch Hand Tracking Advanced hybrid computer vision and machine learning sensors follow your gestures, with 4 IR cameras and 2 RGB cameras cameras to enable controller-free navigation and more intuitive control. Simply move your hands to tap, scroll, navigate and play. Content Library 500+ titles bring a vast library of experiences. There’s something for everyone to discover in more immersive ways, thanks to mixed reality and better performance enabling faster load times, seamless play and ultra-realistic graphics. Backwards Compatibility Full access to the entire catalog of Meta Quest apps, games and experiences. Keep playing your favorite titles, with game updates to optimize viewing and performance. PC Support Supported with Meta Quest Link Cable and Air Link to connect your headset to the power of your PC to unlock yet another level of gameplay (available separately). Charging Battery Life Up to 2.2 hours of usage on average Gaming: 2.4 hours of usage on average Social: 2.2 hours of usage on average Productivity: 1.5 hours of usage on average Media: 2.9 hours of usage on average Charge Time Approximately 2.3 hours with the included 18W power adapter (headset only). Easy Charging Contact pads on bottom of device simplify charging, when combined with the external dock accessory (available separately). WiFi Wi-Fi 6E enabled (region permitting).