Meta Unveils Quest 3 Headset Just Ahead Of Apple’s Upcoming VR Launch
Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced the Meta Quest 3—the company’s latest iteration of its virtual reality (VR) headset. The next-generation gadget, set to hit store shelves later this year, beats its predecessors with higher resolution and more robust performance.
Coincidence or not, the unveiling comes just days before Apple is widely believed to finally showcase its competing headset at the brand’s upcoming June WWDC event. The price points will certainly differ, however, with Apple’s rumored to cost at least US$3,000.
The 128GB headset will retail starting from US$499.99. Calling it the company’s “most powerful headset yet,” Meta revealed the device would be the first in its lineup to be fitted with the latest Snapdragon chipset, which was developed in partnership with Qualcomm Technologies.
View this post on Instagram
In fact, the new chipset delivers over twice the graphics as compared to the previous generation GPU running in the Quest 2, promising smoother loading and even crisper details when exploring immersive video games.
More interestingly, the Quest 3 boasts the ability to blend the physical world with the virtual one by extending the mixed reality to understand and respond to objects in a user’s physical surroundings.
This includes high-fidelity color Passthrough, machine learning capabilities, and spatial understanding, allowing wearers to toe the line between both worlds simultaneously. For example, you’ll be able to play a virtual board game on a real dining table or decorate an actual living room with digital art pieces.
Fit-wise, the gadget has been redesigned for better comfort. It’s sleeker than the Quest 2, with entirely changed Touch Plus controllers that offer a more streamlined and ergonomic form that is more intuitive to use.
Furthermore, with the strides Meta has made with its tracking technology, the outer tracking rings on the device have been moved so that the controllers can feel like a natural extension of one’s arms and occupy less space than before.
For those who don’t fancy shelling out for the newer Quest 3, the good news is that Meta will be lowering the price of the Quest 2 to US$299.99 for the 128GB model and US$349.99 for the 256GB version. A software update will also boost the older gadget with up to 26% CPU performance and up to 19% speed.
[via CNBC and GSMArena, images via Meta Quest]
