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Well, it finally happened, folks: the Meta Quest 3 launched a few days ago. While it’s still a bit too early to tell if it’s going to become one of the best VR headsets on the market, we can definitely admit that it’s a very strong contender.
Meta Quest 3, 128GB: preorder NOW at Best Buy
$499
99
Meta's latest VR headset, the Meta Quest 3, is currently available for preorder at Best Buy. This is the 128GB configuration of the VR headset. Asguard's Wrath II included.
Pre-order Meta's latest XR headset: the Quest 3, with exceptional AR capabilities and best-in-market graphical fidelity! Amazon is offering pre-orders right now and the Quest 3 can ship as early as October 10!
But what about the "why" of that last statement? Well, that’s what this article is all about! After all, the Quest 3 is planned to start shipping on October 10, which is about a week away from today. So if you are still on the fence, you need a nifty article to tell you all about what’s new with the Quest 3.
And would you look at that? This happens to be that article! But right from the get go, I need to warn you: it’s a tempting headset, and Meta has certainly taken tons of notes from feedback on the Quest 2.But the question is: how big of a difference is enough for you before you can decide on spending on the upgrade? There’s no point in hitting around the bush, so let’s do this in a clean and understandable way:
Powered by the latest and greatest Snapdragon XR chip
The Quest 3 is the first XR headset, powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 platform, especially designed for AR and VR. This SoC enables headsets to work harder, better, faster, stronger and provide you with a superior viewing experience.
This allows the Quest 3 to do cool things such as adjust a game’s resolution in real time, in order to increase graphical fidelity or reduce strain, in order to provide a more stable experience.
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While the Quest 3 is certainly an entertainment-focused VR headset, it differs from the Quest 2 and even the Quest Pro in one major way: its AR capabilities. Not only does the Quest 3 offer better passthrough in color, but it allows you to do things with that ability too.
So, Meta calls these Augments and essentially, they are interactive objects that you can place in the physical space around you. As in, something really close to what Apple showcased with the Vision Pro, but it’s still early to do a proper comparison.
Now, of course, a major caveat here is that if you are excited about this one, then you should know that you’ll be able to try it as soon as next year. But in theory, this does mean that you’ll be able to create something like a virtual workspace for yourself with the Quest 3.
IOBT: The Quest 3 tracks your upper body, no trackers required!
Meta’s latest headset is also the first one to support built-in upper body tracking. While this doesn’t mean that you won’t need a set of trackers for fully immersive experiences, it does mean that you are enabled to achieve way more with the headset alone.
This is a massive upgrade over the previous iterations of the Quest, which were only able to track the position of the wearer’s head and arms (thanks to the controllers). The Quest 3 is capable of recognizing things such as elbows and even the position of the torso, which is sure to come in handy for existing and future XR experiences.
And, yes, this feature even has a name: Inside-Out Body Tracking, or IOBT.
AI-Generated Legs? AI-Generated Legs!
So, here’s the thing: it is supper understandable if you don’t want to invest in a pricey set of VR body trackers. They cost a lot, are a pain to set up and not every game even works with them.
So Meta has come up with an alternative for those of us who aren’t in need of hyper-accurate tracking: AI-Generated Legs.
Basically, AI estimates — allegedly, with a high success rate — where the position of your legs should be, relative to the data from the IOBT system from the point above. Based on that: voila, you get kind-of-sort-of trackerless full-body tracking. Nice!
Microgestures: the Quest 3 makes like the Apple Pro
The Quest 3 is capable enough to recognize so-called microgestures from the wearer’s hand. Those would be pokes, grabs, clicks and presumably many more that can be implemented can be recognized by the headset and set to do stuff.
The Quest 3: hard numbers and specs
And, of course, we can’t really consider such a list “complete” with an exhaustive list of specifications for the Quest 3. Here they go:
Supports 4K with “infinite displays”
Runs on a resolution of 2064×2208 pixels per eye with a 90Hz refresh rate
Capable of 120Hz (still experimental and limited)
110 degrees horizontal, 96 degrees vertical
Lens adjustment from 58mm to 71mm IPD
Runs on the Snapdragon XR2 Gen2 chipset
Equipped with Pancake lenses
Supports 3D Spatial Audio (40% louder than the Quest 2)
Has two RGB camera with 18 PPD
8GB of DRAM
Offers 2.2 hours of battery life on average
Can be used while charging
512gr of weight (40% less than the Quest 2)
Controllers support TruTouch variable haptics
Works with Air Link
Wi-Fi 6E support
So, is the Quest 3 a worthy successor to the Quest 2? For sure, especially for the asking price of $499 for the base 128GB model. After all, this is a PC-VR enabled headset, so you’ll be able to utilize your PC’s hard drive in order to store most of your favorite apps and games too.
But that being said: is this an upgrade that makes sense for you? Well, you still have some time until October 10 rolls around, which is when the headset is going to start shipping. And while we can't guess what your final call will be, we can surely say that we can't wait to try out the Quest 3 in real life!
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Stan, also known as Stako, is a smartphone enthusiast who loves exploring the limits of Android customization. His journey with mobile tech began with the Nokia 5110 and evolved with devices like the BlackBerry 9350 Curve and Samsung Galaxy A4. Despite his love for Android, he holds equal respect for Apple, considering the iPhone 4s as a significant milestone in mobile tech. Stan started his writing career early, contributing to MetalWorld, and harbors a passion for creative writing. Beyond smartphones, he's interested in photography, design, composition, and gaming, often preferring solo projects to hone his objective thinking. He's also an avid student of open-source technology and consoles, with a special fondness for the Pebble Watch, Arduboy, and Playdate.
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