To some, the Meta Quest 3 is the most effective VR headset obtainable, hitting the appropriate steadiness between next-gen tech upgrades and reasonably priced compromises. To others, it is too costly in comparison with the Quest 2 or not highly effective sufficient towards the premium Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional.
We have adopted the Quest 3 intently since its late 2023 launch, monitoring all of its updates, new video games, and controversies. Other than sharing all of the specs and comparisons to different headsets, we’ll share all the pieces that new Quest 3 house owners or potential consumers ought to know concerning the headset.
In order for you a extra private breakdown of what it is like to make use of the Quest 3, you’ll be able to learn our Meta Quest 3 overview for all of the highs and lows. Particularly, we praised the upgraded mixed-reality passthrough in full shade, the extra ergonomic controllers, and the revamped graphical energy, whereas noting some design points and poor battery life.
Under, we’ll focus as an alternative on the entire uncooked numbers, costs, equipment, and so forth, that will help you determine if it is price upgrading to the brand new headset.
Meta Quest 3: Worth and availability
The Meta Quest 3 grew to become publicly obtainable on October 10, 2023. The bottom 128GB Quest 3 prices $499 / £479 / €549, whereas the 512GB mannequin is $649 / £619 / €699.
Other than storage, you will not discover every other variations, besides that every one 512GB Quest 3 consumers get six months of free Meta Quest Plus, an $8/month subscription that provides you two Quest video games at no cost, as chosen by Meta.
We now have a information evaluating the 128GB vs. 512GB Quest 3 that breaks down the choice. To summarize it briefly, most Quest 3 video games measure about 2–3GB in measurement, however main releases can swell as much as 10GB or extra — particularly with post-launch updates and DLC. 512GB is greater than most individuals want, however should you select the default 128GB mannequin, you might have to delete video games to create space.
Fortunately, Quest video games assist cloud storage, so should you do select the 128GB Quest 3, you can also make area in your library and redownload video games later.
Meta Quest 3 design and show
Probably the most seen change to the Meta Quest 3 stems from its pancake lenses, which take up much less area than the Quest 2’s fresnel lenses by magnifying by way of skinny, reflective mirrors as an alternative of 1 thick layer. This makes the Quest 3 headset 40% skinnier in entrance.
Regardless of being skinnier, the Quest 3 weighs barely greater than the Quest 2, which Meta itself attributes to new parts just like the depth sensor, further cameras, and depth adjuster. Fortunately, the burden distribution is rather more balanced, which means it isn’t all resting in your brow and slowly creating stress.
It is nonetheless going to really feel heavy after some time, although. Just like the Quest 2, the Quest 3 ships with a material strap with velcro to regulate the match, as an alternative of the built-in Elite Strap with rear padding and adjustment knob you get on the Quest Professional.
Not like the only Quest 2 strap, which may slide to at least one facet of your head, the Quest 3 makes use of a break up overhead strap design that provides you higher assist however “rubs on the highest of your ears,” in response to our reviewer.
That is why we referred to as a Quest 3 strap substitute the “one accent you really need.” It offers a extra snug and safe match, and you may even purchase a strap with a built-in battery to enhance the Quest 3’s longevity. For the reason that Quest 3 has a modular design, putting in a brand new strap ought to solely take you a couple of minutes and would not require any experience.
A refined however important improve from the Quest 2 is how one can change how shut or far the lenses sit out of your eyes, a perform constructed into the facial interface. You will select between 4 choices, with the furthest setting leaving sufficient room so that you can put on glasses and not using a spacer.
Plus, there’s the underrated perk that the full-color mixed-reality means you may have fewer causes to take off the headset and fear about adjusting the match. You’ll be able to merely double-tap the facet to depart your sport, see your environment, and resolve no matter real-world problem is occurring.
Our one frustration with the brand new Quest 3 facial design is the shortage of venting, which may trigger the lenses to fog up out of your face’s warmth. That is why chances are you’ll wish to purchase a brand new facial interface that permits for higher air circulation.
Transferring on to the Meta Quest 3 show, it makes use of an LCD, a cost-saving measure that’ll make its colours much less vibrant than the PSVR 2‘s OLED. Placing that apart, although, it is nonetheless a major visible improve over the Quest 2: 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye as an alternative of 1,920 by 1,832 pixels. That offers you an additional 445 pixels per inch (1,218) or 4 pixels per diploma (25).
The PSVR 2’s 2,000 by 2,040 pixels (800ppi) falls brief, too, and that headset makes use of fresnel lenses with a trickier “candy spot” than the Quest 3’s pancake lenses. For comparability, Meta claims that the brand new lenses improve visible “sharpness” by 25% by creating “considerably fewer stray or scattered mild artifacts.” Our expertise with the Quest 3’s visible readability fortunately lives as much as Meta’s advertising.
We’ll additionally level out that the passthrough decision is eighteen pixels per diploma. That is 7 PPD fewer than its customary VR PPD, however 10X higher than the Quest 2 and 3X higher than the Quest Professional, sufficient to make your environment totally seen whereas sporting the headset. In our exams, we discovered we may learn our cellphone or smartwatch screens with out eradicating our headsets, although it is nonetheless a bit blurry.
In fact, should you evaluate the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional vs. the Quest 3, you will discover that the Imaginative and prescient Professional hits 3,386 pixels per inch or 34 pixels per diploma, with micro-OLED shows that provide a stunning 92% of the DCI-P3 shade gamut. However is that this decision enhance price paying an additional $3,000? Frankly, we’re glad with what the Quest 3 brings to the desk already.
As a remaining Quest 3 design level, the newer headset has a redesigned interpupillary distance (IPD) wheel with 13 spacing settings at 1mm aside. The Quest 2 supported 56–70mm IPDs with three fastened settings, leaving loads of customers caught with a less-than-ideal distance. Now, anybody from 53–75mm can use it, and discovering the appropriate lens spacing might be simpler.
Meta Quest 3 specs
| Meta Quest 3 | Specs |
|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB ($499); 512GB ($649) |
| Show Decision | 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye (LCD); 1,218 pixels per inch; 25 pixels per diploma |
| Show refresh charge | 90Hz; 120Hz (experimental) |
| Area of view | 110º horizontal; 96º vertical |
| Passthrough decision | 18 pixels per diploma |
| Lenses | Pancake (40% slimmer than Quest 2) |
| IPD vary | 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 (common) |
One of many principal causes to improve from the Quest 2 is the efficiency hole. The Quest 3’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 has twice as quick graphical efficiency and improved loading occasions in comparison with the Quest 2’s Gen 1 chip. You additionally get an additional 2GB of RAM.
In apply, this enables builders to patch Quest 2 video games so as to add higher shadows, lighting, textures, and so forth. Plus, in fact, you get mixed-reality modes that the Quest 2 cannot assist with its low-res, black-and-white passthrough.
One factor that hasn’t modified with the brand new technology: the Quest 3 battery life is simply as brief because the Quest 2’s, if not worse. Meta estimates it lasts 2.2 hours per session or 2.4 hours for gaming, however we have discovered it is often near 2 hours flat except you utilize a battery pack. As soon as lifeless, the Quest 3 takes two hours to recharge; it ships with an 18W energy adapter and charging cable within the field.
Qualcomm says this chip works with the brand new Wi-Fi 7 customary, however Meta has solely promised Wi-Fi 6E router assist so far. The sooner Wi-Fi ought to assist with improved PC VR gaming, however you’ll be able to nonetheless follow a USB-C Hyperlink cable for essentially the most dependable connection.
Meta improved the speaker high quality for the Quest 3, claiming it hits a 40% louder quantity with elevated bass in comparison with the Quest 2. You continue to have the three.5mm headphone jack for personal audio and sparing your neighbors, however in any other case, chances are you’ll not want to purchase Quest 3 headphones should you’re proud of the built-in answer.
When you personal the Quest 2 or PSVR 2 and are contemplating shopping for this headset, now we have guides on the Quest 3 vs. Quest 2 or Quest 3 vs. PSVR 2 that will help you determine.
Meta Quest 3 video games
Your entire Quest 2 video games will switch over to the Quest 3, as your account will not change. Our outdated record of the finest Quest video games nonetheless applies to the brand new headset, and we will hope to see sooner loading occasions for these video games, too.
Any more, the entire upcoming Quest video games will launch concurrently on the Quest 2 & 3. Though a few of these video games could have a novel Quest 3 patch with enhanced graphics, that is not a assure. The improved Snapdragon chip will decrease loading occasions robotically, however many builders cap refresh charges and property with the Quest 2 in thoughts, since extra folks have the older headset.
For essentially the most half, the one Quest 3 exclusives might be video games that require full-color combined actuality, one thing the Quest 2 cannot supply.
When you’re a brand new Quest 3 proprietor, we have really helpful the 5 finest Quest 3 launch titles to get you began.
Meta Quest 3 equipment
Up to now, Meta has introduced these official Quest 3 equipment:
- 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 Professional Controllers ($300)
Most of those names will look acquainted. You will purchase these Quest 3 equipment to enhance the battery life, retailer and cost the headset, play PC VR video games, and so forth. One new factor to notice: now you can purchase straps and facial interfaces in new colours like orange and blue, not simply the same old white.
They’re additionally fairly costly! And in a single occasion, Meta’s Elite Strap with Battery had a charging firmware problem that required a recall. The present model on the market is fastened, however it nonetheless annoyed those that this costly accent did not work as meant.
Fortunately, third-party Quest 3 accent makers like BoboVR, AMVR, and KIWI Design have already made extra reasonably priced equipment, with extra within the works for later this yr. Test our information on the finest Quest 3 equipment to see the place to get began.
Most of your outdated Quest 2 equipment will not work with the Quest 3. Due to the redesigns to the brand new headset, most of this outdated tech will not match correctly. We all know that some Third-party accent makers like BoboVR have promised to launch mod kits to make your outdated equipment work, however there isn’t any assure each model will do that.
To date, we all know that your outdated Hyperlink cables ought to proceed to work, should you do not wish to depend on Air Hyperlink and the brand new Wi-Fi 6E capabilities for wi-fi PC VR. And should you personal the Quest Professional controllers (usually $300), you should utilize these rather than the Quest 3 Contact Plus controllers.
Quest 3 post-launch information
These are the primary post-launch Quest 3 updates, bulletins, and controversies that you will wish to learn about!
After its early October launch, the Quest 3 obtained the v59 software program replace that added a battery saver mode, in Meta’s try and counteract its brief battery life. It additionally made it simpler to arrange a mixed-reality area robotically as an alternative of drawing the area manually.
We realized in November 2023 that Meta tried to get the Play Retailer on Quest headsets, however Google did not wish to play ball. We realized later, throughout some public Meta-Google beef, that Google would solely present its apps if Meta agreed to make Quest headsets run totally on Android, with Google in command of software program. Due to this, the Quest 3’s productiveness software program continues to be meager in comparison with the Imaginative and prescient Professional’s.
As a part of this drama, Meta out of the blue disabled Chromecasting sooner or later final yr earlier than restoring the characteristic as a consequence of a flurry of Quest consumer complaints.
We then realized that the Meta Quest 3 prices about $430 to make, which means that Meta barely makes any revenue on headset gross sales and should recoup its funding in sport and accent gross sales.
In December, Meta launched the v60 replace with new Horizon Residence environments and boundary fixes, however it additionally got here with some behind-the-scenes bugs slowing down sport efficiency that took Meta a while to replace. On the extra constructive entrance, this replace resolved longstanding mic points that plagued followers of social VR video games.
With the February Quest v62 replace (Meta skipped v61), the Quest 3 made a ton of mixed-reality fixes and updates that appeared to straight goal the recently-launched Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, like assist for iPhone 15 spatial movies and a pinch hand gesture.
Mark Zuckerberg proved later that month that Meta had Apple on its thoughts, “reviewing” the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional in a Threads video that bashed the rival headset and referred to as the Quest 3 a “higher product, interval.”
In March, Meta’s CTO Andrew Bosworth began hinting a few main Quest UI overhaul, one which’s but to reach. He hinted that it’ll present a revamped keyboard and put a heavy emphasis on combined actuality, together with stationary and pinned menus and apps.
Most not too long ago, Meta unveiled a brand new AI-backed characteristic referred to as SceneScript that may robotically map your room structure, together with partitions, doorways, and furnishings. It ought to make it loads simpler to play in numerous areas, with out having to continually redraw boundaries.
The Meta Quest 3 prices $200 greater than the Quest 2 did at launch. In trade, it delivers vital visible, efficiency, and luxury upgrades throughout the board, maintains its wi-fi design regardless of the elevated energy calls for, and provides mixed-reality apps.
Full-color combined actuality allows you to faucet out of video games and clearly see your property area as an alternative of a nauseating black-and-white blur. You’ll be able to incorporate your environment into video games like Supernatural, so that you by no means want to fret about unintentionally punching a wall. And a few MR video games make your bodily area a part of the expertise.
We are able to assume that the Quest 4 will take one other few years to reach, however we have additionally heard rumblings a few Quest 3 Lite with the identical CPU however a number of main cuts to hit a $200 price ticket, reminiscent of delivery with out controllers. In concept, if the Quest 3 prices an excessive amount of, you might look ahead to its cheaper sibling, as long as you are prepared to just accept the trade-offs.
Meta’s newest
The Meta Quest 3 VR headset delivers highly effective Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 efficiency, a extra balanced and comfy design, full-color combined actuality, and among the finest VR shows we have ever seen. It arrives on October 10.
