Many people are excited and looking forward to Meta Quest 3. This is because Meta Quest 2 has been around for quite a while now. In fact, it has been so long since the company Meta unveiled a new headset that the Meta Quest 2 even went through a rebrand from the Oculus Quest 2 to the Meta Quest 2. The Meta Quest 2 was released in 2020, which is years ago from now. In that time span, the fast pacing VR industry has boomed and changed a lot.
However, what brought more attention to the release of the new headset Mera Quest 3 is the release of Meta’s rival company Sony’s new VR headset that was unveiled in February 2023. Now it is up to Meta to up their game and release Meta Quest 3 soon.
Meta Quest 3 Release Date
In a recent interview, the Vice President of Meta, Mark Rabkin, revealed that along with the Stinson (code name for Meta Quest 3), there would also be a more affordable version of the Stinson that will be named the Ventura. Moreover, the company Meta has revealed and confirmed that the Meta Quest 3 will hit stores in 2023 for sure. This was stated during a 3rd Quarter 2022 earnings call from Meta Chief Strategy Officer David Wehner.
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However, this release date is only applicable to the Stinson model. The Ventura version of the Meta Quest 3 is estimated to hit stores by 2024. There’s also a good chance that Meta, as it did with the Quest Pro and Quest 2 in the past, will formally announce and launch the Quest 3 during its Connect conference in October.
Meta Quest 3 Features and Specs
There have been schematic leaks of the Meta Quest 3 and its design from several sources. One of the sources is a YouTuber who was also responsible for revealing the Meta Quest Pro’s leaked specs, which turned out to be the actual specs later on. Knowing the source has a history of being reliable, the leaked design for the Meta Quest 3 reveals a very similar design to its predecessor Meta Quest 2. However, when looking at the leaked computer-aided design (CAD), one can tell that the Meta Quest 3 has a sleek and thinner design.
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The size is not the only one area where it might vary. Instead of Fresnel lenses, Stinson is thought to use thin, lightweight pancake lenses. This would make the headset smaller and lighter than the Quest 2. The new VR flagship is reportedly twice as thin as the outgoing model, according to a report by The Verge. Another change from Quest 2 that appears to be in the Quest 3 is that it has a dial at the bottom with an Interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment wheel, which will let you adjust the spacing between the lenses to better fit the space between your eyes.
Likely, there will not be any changes in the controller, and it will be the same as the one that came with the Meta Quest 2. The Meta Quest 3 is likely to also see an improvement in resolution, speed, and ergonomics, as the Meta Quest 2 did from its predecessor.
The display may have a resolution of 2,064 by 2,208 pixels per eye or 4,128 by 2,208 pixels overall. The headset also appears to include a depth sensor, two side cameras for tracking, and a four-camera array. This depth sensor is supposed to be the selling point of this new headset, according to company leader Mark Rabkins. It is supposed to make mixed reality feel better, easier, and more natural.
The source also revealed that a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 CPU might power the device.
The Meta Quest 3 has a passthrough vision function which the mixed reality technology will enhance. In contrast to the Quest 2’s monochrome video stream, this function should provide the user with a clearer perspective of their surroundings, the ability to scan things in the room, and a dash of color. The use of this technology might also aid to enhance hand tracking.
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Price of Meta Quest 3
With many improvements in specs and features compared to Meta Quest 2 and with the inflation settling in worldwide, it is obvious that the price of the Meta Quest 3 will be higher than its predecessor. However, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is adamant about keeping the price as low as possible to make the product available to many. The Meta Quest 2 currently ranges from $399 to $499. Meta confirms that the price for the Meta Quest 3 will be around $300, $400, or $500. How accurate this range is questionable.
