Meta Quest 3, release date, features and latest information

The Meta Quest 3 has been officially announced by Meta (parent company of Facebook) and will arrive this autumn at a price of €569.99 including VAT (France).

The new headset will feature an optimised, modern design compared with its predecessor, including an overall design that is 40% more compact and a new Snapdragon processor. As a result, virtual reality and mixed reality experiences will be much better, with a real evolution for this new generation.

Meta Quest 3 release date

Mark Zuckerberg has announced that the Meta Quest 3 will be released this autumn, without giving any further details. But it's highly likely that the official announcement of the release date will be made at the annual Meta Connect conference on 27 September.

We know from experience that new Meta Quest products (like Oculus in the past) are announced at these conferences and before the end of the year to boost sales in the run-up to Christmas.

Official price of the Meta Quest 3

The third-generation Quest headset will start at €569.99 (incl. VAT in France/Europe). Meta has also taken the opportunity to lower the retail price of the Meta Quest 2.

This new product is certainly more expensive than the Quest 2, but is justified by more advanced on-board technology (including Passthrough cameras for mixed reality) and an increase in raw materials.

Technical specifications

Meta's announcement of the Quest 3's specifications did not provide many details, but there are a few key points to bear in mind all the same.

Processing power

To deliver smooth and immersive VR experiences, the Meta Quest 3 is expected to be equipped with a more powerful processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon). The exact details of the processor are not known, but it is expected to offer better performance, enabling smoother graphics and better quality visuals.

Color Passthrough cameras

One interesting improvement is High-fidelity colour Passthrough, which means you can see the real world around you in colour through the headset, rather than monochrome as with PSVR 2. As Meta pointed out, through the use of machine learning and spatial understanding, Quest 3 could allow users to interact with virtual and real worlds simultaneously, "creating limitless possibilities to explore".

Resolution and refresh rate

No specifications regarding resolution or refresh rate have been revealed, but we can expect a resolution of 4,128 by 2,208 pixels, or 2,064 by 2,208 pixels per eye. This would not only exploit the GPU's superior power, but also improve on the Quest 2's resolution of 1,920 by 1,832 pixels per eye. The refresh rate will almost certainly be 120Hz out of the box, but we wouldn't be surprised if the Quest 3 hit 144Hz in some VR games or with post-launch updates.

Tracking and controllers

The Meta Quest 3 will likely retain its predecessor's inside-out tracking system, which allows users to navigate virtual environments without the need for external sensors. In addition, the system will benefit from new, redesigned controllers with improved ergonomics, haptic feedback (TruTouch) and enhanced functionality for improved gameplay. The form factor of its controllers is similar to that of the Meta Quest Pro.

Storage and connectivity

In terms of storage capacity, the Meta Quest 3 should offer options for different storage configurations, allowing users to choose the amount of internal storage that suits their needs. In addition, the headset could offer enhanced connectivity options, such as USB-C, for faster data transfer and seamless connectivity with other devices.

The design of the Meta Quest 3

Meta claims that the Meta Quest 3 has undergone a complete interior redesign. While the headset retains a similar overall aesthetic to the Quest 2, it features several notable improvements. Firstly, it is now 40% thinner, making it more compact and ergonomic. In addition, it sports a bold trio of pill-shaped cameras/sensors on the front of the headset, which could allow for better motion detection and an improved tracking experience.

One intriguing element is the appearance of an additional button located at the bottom of the headset. It's likely that this knob will be used to adjust the inter-pupillary distance (IPD), which would be a significant improvement in gameplay quality over the Quest 2. This feature would allow users to further tailor the visual experience to their individual needs.

In addition, Quest 3 appears to have benefited from a redesign of the face screen. It's possible that it offers better isolation from ambient light, improving immersion by blocking out external distractions.

Another interesting feature is the introduction of a flexible mesh around the helmet's lenses. This could facilitate adjustments to set the inter-pupillary distance more precisely and comfortably. According to rumours, this feature could even be motorised, allowing users to adjust the IPD at the touch of a button.

Overall, the Meta Quest 3 appears to be a slimmer, more comfortable headset, designed to deliver an enjoyable extended experience. Ergonomic improvements, such as IPD adjustment and ambient light reduction, are testament to Meta's efforts to deliver an immersive, personalised VR experience tailored to the needs of the most demanding users.