Meta plans Quest 3 release for this year
VR roadmap reveals other headsets down the line.
Facebook parent Meta is reportedly planning to release its Quest 3 VR headset later this year, according to a roadmap presentation from Reality Labs to its employees.
The presentation, which was shared with The Verge, contained details on Quest 3 as well as two more headsets and Meta's AR development projects.
Speculation of a Quest 3 release sometime soon was fuelled recently by the news that Meta is ending support for its original Quest VR headset, with the company continuing to deliver security patches until 2024.
Meta reportedly told employees Quest 3 will be "two times thinner and at least twice as powerful" as Quest 2, with a slightly more expensive price point than Quest 2's $400. The Verge noted the headset will "prominently feature mixed reality experiences", by using front-facing cameras to feed in video of your surroundings. Mixed reality will reportedly be one of the Quest 3's biggest selling points.
Meta's vice president of VR Ian Rabkin told employees their main challenge will be "convincing people to pay a bit more money than the cost of the existing Quest 2", according to The Verge. Just last summer, Meta increased the price of its Quest 2 headset by $100. Rabkin also said the Quest 3 will ship with 41 new apps and games, The Verge reported.
These details corroborate files which were leaked last year by YouTuber Brad Lynch, in which he stated Quest 3 is internally codenamed Stinson and would focus on mixed reality and consumers.
The Verge included details for two more headsets outlined by Rabkin. A "more accessible" headset, internally codenamed Ventura, is planned for release in 2024. This perhaps will be cheaper than Quest 3 as it will be sold at the "most attractive price point in the VR consumer market", Rabkin is reported to have said. Meta has plans for its "most advanced" headset yet, codenamed La Jolla, though a timeline for the project was not shared.