To some, the Meta Quest 3 is the simplest VR headset accessible, hitting the correct stability between next-gen tech upgrades and fairly priced compromises. To others, it’s too pricey compared with the Quest 2 or not extremely efficient enough in the direction of the premium Apple Imaginative and prescient Skilled.
We now have adopted the Quest 3 fastidiously since its late 2023 launch, monitoring all of its updates, new video video games, and controversies. Aside from sharing the entire specs and comparisons to totally different headsets, we’ll share all of the items that new Quest 3 homeowners or potential patrons must know regarding the headset.
In case you’d like a additional personal breakdown of what it’s prefer to make use of the Quest 3, you’ll be capable of be taught our Meta Quest 3 review for the entire highs and lows. Significantly, we praised the upgraded mixed-reality passthrough in full shade, the additional ergonomic controllers, and the revamped graphical power, whereas noting some design factors and poor battery life.
Beneath, we’ll focus as a substitute on all of the raw numbers, prices, gear, and so forth, that may help you establish whether it is worth upgrading to the model new headset.
Meta Quest 3: Worth and availability
The Meta Quest 3 grew to grow to be publicly accessible on October 10, 2023. The underside 128GB Quest 3 costs $499 / £479 / €549, whereas the 512GB model is $649 / £619 / €699.
Aside from storage, you’ll not uncover each different variations, moreover that every one 512GB Quest 3 patrons get six months of free Meta Quest Plus, an $8/month subscription that gives you two Quest video video games with out value, as chosen by Meta.
Now we now have a data evaluating the 128GB vs. 512GB Quest 3 that breaks down the selection. To summarize it briefly, most Quest 3 video video games measure about 2–3GB in measurement, nonetheless primary releases can swell as a lot as 10GB or additional — significantly with post-launch updates and DLC. 512GB is bigger than most people need, nonetheless ought to you choose the default 128GB model, you’ll have to delete video video games to create area.
Happily, Quest video video games help cloud storage, so must you do choose the 128GB Quest 3, you can even make home in your library and redownload video video games later.
Meta Quest 3 design and present
Primarily essentially the most seen change to the Meta Quest 3 stems from its pancake lenses, which take up a lot much less home than the Quest 2’s fresnel lenses by magnifying by means of skinny, reflective mirrors as a substitute of 1 thick layer. This makes the Quest 3 headset 40% skinnier in entrance.
No matter being skinnier, the Quest 3 weighs slightly more than the Quest 2, which Meta itself attributes to new parts similar to the depth sensor, additional cameras, and depth adjuster. Happily, the load distribution is far more balanced, which means it’s not all resting in your forehead and slowly creating stress.
It’s nonetheless going to actually really feel heavy after a while, though. Identical to the Quest 2, the Quest 3 ships with a fabric strap with velcro to control the match, as a substitute of the built-in Elite Strap with rear padding and adjustment knob you get on the Quest Pro.
Not just like the one Quest 2 strap, which could slide to 1 facet of your head, the Quest 3 makes use of a lower up overhead strap design that gives you increased help nonetheless “rubs on the very best of your ears,” based mostly on our reviewer.
That’s the reason we often known as a Quest 3 strap substitute the “one accessory you actually need.” It gives a additional comfortable and secure match, and also you’ll even buy a strap with a built-in battery to reinforce the Quest 3’s longevity. As a result of the Quest 3 has a modular design, placing in a model new strap must solely take you a few minutes and wouldn’t require any expertise.
A fragile nonetheless crucial enhance from the Quest 2 is how one can change how shut or far the lenses sit out of your eyes, a carry out constructed into the facial interface. You’ll choose between 4 decisions, with the furthest setting leaving enough room so to placed on glasses with out a spacer.
Plus, there’s the underrated perk that the full-color mixed-reality means you’ve got fewer causes to take off the headset and worry about adjusting the match. You’ll be capable of merely double-tap the facet to depart your sport, see your setting, and resolve irrespective of real-world problem is going on.
Our one frustration with the model new Quest 3 facial design is the scarcity of venting, which could set off the lenses to fog up out of your face’s heat. That’s the reason likelihood is you’ll have to buy a model new facial interface that allows for increased air circulation.
Shifting on to the Meta Quest 3 present, it makes use of an LCD, a cost-saving measure that’ll make its colors a lot much less vibrant than the PSVR 2‘s OLED. Putting that aside, though, it’s nonetheless a giant seen enhance over the Quest 2: 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye as a substitute of 1,920 by 1,832 pixels. That gives you an extra 445 pixels per inch (1,218) or 4 pixels per diploma (25).
The PSVR 2’s 2,000 by 2,040 pixels (800ppi) falls fast, too, and that headset makes use of fresnel lenses with a trickier “sweet spot” than the Quest 3’s pancake lenses. For comparability, Meta claims that the model new lenses improve seen “sharpness” by 25% by creating “significantly fewer stray or scattered mild artifacts.” Our experience with the Quest 3’s seen readability happily lives as a lot as Meta’s promoting and advertising and marketing.
We’ll moreover degree out that the passthrough determination is eighteen pixels per diploma. That’s 7 PPD fewer than its commonplace VR PPD, nonetheless 10X increased than the Quest 2 and 3X increased than the Quest Skilled, enough to make your setting completely seen whereas carrying the headset. In our checks, we found we would be taught our cellphone or smartwatch screens with out eradicating our headsets, though it’s nonetheless a bit blurry.
In truth, must you look at the Apple Vision Pro vs. the Quest 3, it’s possible you’ll uncover that the Imaginative and prescient Skilled hits 3,386 pixels per inch or 34 pixels per diploma, with micro-OLED exhibits that provide a gorgeous 92% of the DCI-P3 shade gamut. Nonetheless is that this determination improve worth paying an extra $3,000? Frankly, we’re glad with what the Quest 3 brings to the desk already.
As a final Quest 3 design degree, the newer headset has a redesigned interpupillary distance (IPD) wheel with 13 spacing settings at 1mm apart. The Quest 2 supported 56–70mm IPDs with three mounted settings, leaving a great deal of clients caught with a less-than-ideal distance. Now, anyone from 53–75mm can use it, and discovering the correct lens spacing could be less complicated.
Meta Quest 3 specs
| Meta Quest 3 | Specs |
|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB ($499); 512GB ($649) |
| Present Choice | 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye (LCD); 1,218 pixels per inch; 25 pixels per diploma |
| Present refresh worth | 90Hz; 120Hz (experimental) |
| Self-discipline of view | 110º horizontal; 96º vertical |
| Passthrough determination | 18 pixels per diploma |
| Lenses | Pancake (40% slimmer than Quest 2) |
| IPD fluctuate | 53mm-75mm |
| Headset dimensions | 184 x 160 x 98 mm, 515g |
| Controller dimensions | 126 x 67 x 43mm, 126g |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6E, USB-C |
| Battery life | 2.2 hours (widespread) |
One in all many vital causes to enhance from the Quest 2 is the effectivity gap. The Quest 3’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 has twice as fast graphical effectivity and improved loading events compared with the Quest 2’s Gen 1 chip. You moreover get an extra 2GB of RAM.
In observe, this allows builders to patch Quest 2 video video games in order so as to add increased shadows, lighting, textures, and so forth. Plus, in actual fact, you get mixed-reality modes that the Quest 2 can’t help with its low-res, black-and-white passthrough.
One issue that hasn’t modified with the model new know-how: the Quest 3 battery life is solely as fast as a result of the Quest 2’s, if not worse. Meta estimates it lasts 2.2 hours per session or 2.4 hours for gaming, nonetheless we now have found it’s usually close to 2 hours flat besides you utilize a battery pack. As quickly as lifeless, the Quest 3 takes two hours to recharge; it ships with an 18W power adapter and charging cable inside the subject.
Qualcomm says this chip works with the model new Wi-Fi 7 commonplace, nonetheless Meta has solely promised Wi-Fi 6E router help up to now. The faster Wi-Fi ought to help with improved PC VR gaming, nonetheless you’ll be capable of nonetheless comply with a USB-C Hyperlink cable for primarily essentially the most reliable connection.
Meta improved the speaker prime quality for the Quest 3, claiming it hits a 40% louder amount with elevated bass compared with the Quest 2. You proceed to have the three.5mm headphone jack for private audio and sparing your neighbors, nonetheless in some other case, likelihood is you’ll not wish to buy Quest 3 headphones must you’re happy with the built-in decision.
Once you private the Quest 2 or PSVR 2 and are considering looking for this headset, we now have now guides on the Quest 3 vs. Quest 2 or Quest 3 vs. PSVR 2 that may help you establish.
Meta Quest 3 video video games
All of your Quest 2 video video games will swap over to the Quest 3, as your account won’t change. Our earlier guidelines of the best Quest games nonetheless applies to the model new headset, and we’ll hope to see faster loading events for these video video games, too.
Any longer, all of the upcoming Quest games will launch concurrently on the Quest 2 & 3. Although a couple of of those video video games might have a novel Quest 3 patch with enhanced graphics, that’s not a guarantee. The improved Snapdragon chip will lower loading events mechanically, nonetheless many builders cap refresh costs and property with the Quest 2 in ideas, since additional people have the older headset.
For primarily essentially the most half, the one Quest 3 exclusives could be video video games that require full-color blended actuality, one factor the Quest 2 can’t provide.
Once you’re a model new Quest 3 proprietor, we now have actually useful the five best Quest 3 launch titles to get you started.
Meta Quest 3 gear
Thus far, Meta has launched these official Quest 3 gear:
- Meta Quest 3 Silicone Facial Interface ($40)
- Meta Quest Energetic Straps for Contact Plus Controllers ($40)
- Zenni VR Prescription Lenses for Meta Quest 3 ($50)
- Meta Quest 3 Elite Strap ($70)
- Meta Quest 3 Carrying Case ($70)
- Meta Quest Hyperlink Cable ($80)
- Meta Quest 3 Elite Strap with Battery ($130)
- Meta Quest 3 Charging Dock ($130)
- Meta Quest Contact Skilled Controllers ($300)
Most of these names will look acquainted. You’ll buy these Quest 3 gear to reinforce the battery life, retailer and price the headset, play PC VR video video games, and so forth. One new issue to note: now you should buy straps and facial interfaces in new colors like orange and blue, not merely the identical outdated white.
They’re moreover pretty pricey! And in a single event, Meta’s Elite Strap with Battery had a charging firmware issue that required a recall. The current mannequin available on the market is mounted, nonetheless it nonetheless aggravated people that this pricey accent didn’t work as meant.
Happily, third-party Quest 3 accent makers like BoboVR, AMVR, and KIWI Design have already made additional moderately priced gear, with additional inside the works for later this yr. Study our data on the best Quest 3 accessories to see the place to get started.
Most of your earlier Quest 2 gear won’t work with the Quest 3. As a result of redesigns to the model new headset, most of this earlier tech won’t match appropriately. Everyone knows that some Third-party accent makers like BoboVR have promised to launch mod kits to make your earlier gear work, nonetheless there isn’t a guarantee every mannequin will try this.
So far, everyone knows that your earlier Link cables must proceed to work, ought to you don’t want to depend upon Air Hyperlink and the model new Wi-Fi 6E capabilities for wi-fi PC VR. And must you private the Quest Pro controllers (often $300), it’s best to make the most of these fairly than the Quest 3 Contact Plus controllers.
Quest 3 post-launch data
These are the precept post-launch Quest 3 updates, bulletins, and controversies that you just’re going to want to seek out out about!
After its early October launch, the Quest 3 obtained the v59 software update that added a battery saver mode, in Meta’s attempt to counteract its fast battery life. It moreover made it less complicated to rearrange a mixed-reality home mechanically as a substitute of drawing the home manually.
We found in November 2023 that Meta tried to get the Play Store on Quest headsets, nonetheless Google didn’t have to play ball. We found later, all through some public Meta-Google beef, that Google would solely current its apps if Meta agreed to make Quest headsets run completely on Android, with Google answerable for software program program. Attributable to this, the Quest 3’s productiveness software program program continues to be meager compared with the Imaginative and prescient Skilled’s.
As part of this drama, Meta immediately disabled Chromecasting ultimately remaining yr sooner than restoring the feature due to a flurry of Quest client complaints.
We then found that the Meta Quest 3 costs about $430 to make, that implies that Meta barely makes any income on headset product sales and will recoup its funding in sport and accent product sales.
In December, Meta launched the v60 substitute with new Horizon Residence environments and boundary fixes, nonetheless it moreover bought right here with some behind-the-scenes bugs slowing down sport effectivity that took Meta some time to interchange. On the additional optimistic entrance, this substitute resolved longstanding mic issues that plagued followers of social VR video video games.
With the February Quest v62 update (Meta skipped v61), the Quest 3 made a ton of mixed-reality fixes and updates that appeared to straight purpose the recently-launched Apple Imaginative and prescient Skilled, like help for iPhone 15 spatial films and a pinch hand gesture.
Mark Zuckerberg proved later that month that Meta had Apple on its ideas, “reviewing” the Apple Vision Pro in a Threads video that bashed the rival headset and often known as the Quest 3 a “increased product, interval.”
In March, Meta’s CTO Andrew Bosworth started hinting a few major Quest UI overhaul, one which’s however to achieve. He hinted that it’s going to current a revamped keyboard and put a heavy emphasis on blended actuality, along with stationary and pinned menus and apps.
Most not too way back, Meta unveiled a model new AI-backed attribute often known as SceneScript that may mechanically map your room construction, along with partitions, doorways, and furnishings. It must make it fairly a bit less complicated to play in quite a few areas, with out having to repeatedly redraw boundaries.
The Meta Quest 3 costs $200 better than the Quest 2 did at launch. In change, it delivers important seen, effectivity, and luxurious upgrades all through the board, maintains its wi-fi design whatever the elevated power requires, and supplies mixed-reality apps.
Full-color blended actuality means that you can faucet out of video video games and clearly see your own home home as a substitute of a nauseating black-and-white blur. You’ll be capable of incorporate your setting into video video games like Supernatural, so that you just not at all wish to fret about by probability punching a wall. And some MR video video games make your bodily home part of the experience.
We’ll assume that the Quest 4 will take one different few years to achieve, nonetheless we now have moreover heard rumblings a few Quest 3 Lite with the an identical CPU nonetheless various primary cuts to hit a $200 price tag, similar to supply with out controllers. In idea, if the Quest 3 costs an extreme quantity of, you’d sit up for its cheaper sibling, so long as you might be eager to simply settle for the trade-offs.
Meta’s latest
The Meta Quest 3 VR headset delivers extremely efficient Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 effectivity, a additional balanced and comfortable design, full-color blended actuality, and possibly the best VR exhibits we now have ever seen. It arrives on October 10.
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