Meta Quest 3 mixed reality headset arrives 10th October, starting at £480
Includes copy of Asgard's Wrath 2.
We already knew Meta Quest 3 was on the way after Meta made its latest consumer VR headset official back in June - just days ahead of Apple's Vision Pro reveal - but the company has now slapped it with a 10th October launch date, and pre-orders are open now.
April's initial unveiling confirmed some top-level features for Meta's new VR headset - which is now more accurately described as a mixed reality headset - but we now have a much clearer idea of the specs being packed into this third iteration of Quest.
Meta Quest 3 is powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor - which Meta says can manage "double the graphic processing" of Quest 2 - and it includes 8GB of RAM. It also sports two 120Hz LCD displays, each delivering a resolution of 2064 x 2208 - described as a 30 percent increase compared to Quest 2 - plus a 110-degrees horizontal and 96-degrees vertical field of view. Lenses have an adjustable IPD ranging from 58mm-71mm.
Meta Quest 3's mixed reality ambitions are served by two 18 PPD RGB colour cameras on the front of the 515g headset, promising "full-colour, high-fidelity Passthrough", meaning users can hop between an exclusively VR mode and one that blends virtual and physical spaces. Chuck in 3D-audio-capable speakers promising a 40% louder volume range compared to Quest 2, and Meta reckons you should be able to squeeze 1.5-3 hours of use from the device's battery, which takes around 2.5 hours to recharge.
The other major new component of Quest 3 is its redesigned Touch Plus controller (two are included with each device) which introduces improved haptic feedback and drops the ring of the company's previous VR controller in favour of infrared tracking.
All the above will be available in two flavours when Quest 3 launches on 10th October, with Meta offering a choice between 128GB or 512GB of internal storage. The first option will set you back £479.99/$499.99 USD, while the latter costs £619.99/$649.99.
Both versions include a copy of Asgard's Wrath 2, due to launch in December, although that offer ends 27th January 2024. The 512GB model also includes a Meta Quest+ subscription. And if you're interested, pre-orders are open now.