Meta Debuts $500 Quest 3 as Apple Prepares to Launch $3,500 Vision Pro Headset Next Year

[MacRumors]

Facebook parent company Meta today announced the upcoming launch of the $500 Meta Quest 3, its newest mixed reality headset that goes up against the much more expensive Vision Pro that Apple plans to launch next year.

Meta claims that the Quest 3 was redesigned from the inside out, and it features "4K+ Infinite Display resolution" thanks to two displays with a 2064x2208 resolution per eye and an "experimental" 120Hz refresh rate. Comparatively, Apple's headset uses 4K micro-OLED displays and provide a total of 23 million pixels.

The Quest 3 is equipped with 3D spatial audio and a 40 percent louder volume range than the Quest 2. Meta is using Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip for the headset, and it offers double the GPU processing power of the Meta Quest 2. Meta says with the new chip, the Quest 3 supports "fast-action gaming, seamless full-color, and high-resolution passthrough."

Two RGB cameras with 10x better resolution than the Quest 2 provide a view of the surrounding area, and virtual objects are able to be manipulated in your physical space. This is the augmented reality part of the headset, and it mirrors what's possible with the Vision Pro.

The Meta Quest 3 weighs in at 515 grams, which is over a pound, and it is slightly heavier than the Quest 2. There is, however, a slimmer optic profile thanks to new pancake lenses, so Meta says the headset is more comfortable to wear. There is a soft adjustable strap that holds it on the head, and the facial interface can be adjusted to improve comfort and field of view. There is 110 degree horizontal field of view and a 96 degree vertical field of view for extended peripheral vision, plus sharpness in the center field of view has been increased by 25 percent. Unlike Apple's headset, there is no eye tracking or iris scanning.

For input, the Meta Quest 3 uses two Touch Plus Controllers that serve as a "natural extension" of the hands and offer tactile haptic feedback. Meta is using computer vision and machine learning sensors to follow hand gestures, and there are a series of cameras that enable controller-free navigation, which is similar to what's possible with the Vision Pro headset.

The Meta Quest 3 lasts for up to 2.2 hours per charge on average, and it does not include an external battery pack. The Apple Vision Pro also lasts for two hours when connected to its external battery, but it can run all day when hooked up to a power source.

Other features include 8GB RAM, Wi-Fi 6E, an LED that lets people nearby know when cameras are in use, and support for connecting to a PC with the Meta Quest Link Cable and Air Link.

The Meta Quest 3 is priced at $499.99 for 128GB of storage or $649.99 for 512GB of storage and can be pre-ordered from the Meta website, Best Buy, and other retailers starting today. Orders are set to start arriving in October.

Article Link: Meta Debuts $500 Quest 3 as Apple Prepares to Launch $3,500 Vision Pro Headset Next Year

 

[finlaycraig]

The Quest 3 is awesome!

 

[MacTwick]

I like how Zuckie bashes the Vision Pro like the two products are even in the same category.

 

[gleepskip]

Purchase includes the sale of all of your "Meta"-data to whoever Mark chooses to.

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

A social media company trying to do hardware/software that competes with Apple is absurd.

 

[kkee]

Meta claims that the Quest 3 was redesigned from the inside out, and it features "4K+ Infinite Display resolution" thanks to two displays with a 2064x2208 resolution per eye and an "experimental" 120Hz refresh rate. Comparatively, Apple's headset uses 4K micro-OLED displays and provide a total of 23 million pixels.

 

[Kylo83]

To be fair it’s a much better buy, vr is made for gaming, the vision pro doesn’t have a market yes it’s Apple and we love the eco system but it’s really just to extend your screens and game on a 2d virtual tv, the guest 3 is much cheaper and gaming is a big focus. Still don’t get the hype for vision pro what can you really do on it

 

[4087258]

This is a cheap plastic toy compared to Vision Pro.

 

[nattK]

More like $500 upfront, the rest you pay with your privacy.

 

[Ateam043]

My Quest is basically a dedicated Beat Saber (with custom songs) machine. There is still not a killer app or game for the Quest. Unless tether to a PC and you play Half-Life.

 

[spaxxedout]

To be fair it’s a much better buy, vr is made for gaming, the vision pro doesn’t have a market yes it’s Apple and we love the eco system but it’s really just to extend your screens and game on a 2d virtual tv, the guest 3 is much cheaper and gaming is a big focus. Still don’t get the hype for vision pro what can you really do on it

The event surprised me. They’ve really walked back a lot I didn’t like about their strategy. The Vision Pro is better, but likely not 7 times better.

 

[Kylo83]

The event surprised me. They’ve really walked back a lot I didn’t like about their strategy. The Vision Pro is better, but likely not 7 times better.

But what’s the main selling point for vision pro, yes the displays are better but what can you really do to justify £3500 all games and movies are in a 2d virtual display i dont get the killer feature for vision pro

 

[mrat93]

The event surprised me. They’ve really walked back a lot I didn’t like about their strategy. The Vision Pro is better, but likely not 7 times better.

Yeah… Aside from eye tracking, I’m trying hard to think of how AVP is drastically better or different from Quest 3.

I do think that $500 for Quest 3 is a pretty solid deal on its own. I paid about $400 for a Rift S 4 years ago. It’s insane how far the tech has come with passthrough, and standalone headsets.

 

[kkee]

Yeah… Aside from eye tracking, I’m trying hard to think of how AVP is drastically better or different from Quest 3.

I do think that $500 for Quest 3 is a pretty solid deal on its own. I paid about $400 for a Rift S 4 years ago. It’s insane how far the tech has come with passthrough, and standalone headsets.

Pretty easy if you follow the tech news. AVP is a true spatial computer while Quest 3 is a Nintendo that try to be a computer.

 

[Macalway]

I'll bet these guys are having fun. With Apple's offering price, people can't help taking a good look at this.

With the incredible hoopla Apple has provided, sales may be robust.

 

[StupidOpinion]

quest 3 runs on xr2 gen 2 which is 4nm (tsmc 5nm enhanced) which is great. we all know how powerful the nvidia 40 series GPUs were and taking the disappointing 3nm performance that we've seen so far, the quest 3 is going to be great for its time and for at least several years to come.

quest 2 stood the test of time and was a solid option for the last 3 years in its price range. the quest 3 is a worthy upgrade

 

[tripleh3lix]

My Quest is basically a dedicated Beat Saber (with custom songs) machine. There is still not a killer app or game for the Quest. Unless tether to a PC and you play Half-Life.

Half Life is a fantastic option with a tethered PC, and probably cheaper than the Apple Vision Pro, which more than likely won't be able to play it. Probably need a jailbreak and all that knowing Apple.

 

[gleepskip]

I'll bet these guys are having fun. With Apple's offering price, people can't help taking a good look at this.

With the incredible hoopla Apple has provided, sales may be robust.

I took a good look at it and concluded the Q3 looks quite goofy with those three pill-shaped camera holes on the front.

 

[Boeingfan]

Wow $500 for a data vacuum cleaner with a free pair of goggles. What a bargain…

 

[erikkfi]

What I can't figure out is why you need to sign in through the mobile app in order to use the Quest. Can anyone think of why that would be the case?

 

[Darren.h]

$500 UNIT VS $3500 UNIT. I'll take the $500 unit and deal with the differences.

It runs a snapdragon so Android Apps may be supported.

 

[spaxxedout]

But what’s the main selling point for vision pro, yes the displays are better but what can you really do to justify £3500 all games and movies are in a 2d virtual display i dont get the killer feature for vision pro

I like that Apple makes their money upfront and doesn’t push you to games / social experiences to recoup the margin. I enjoy solitary computing and content consumption. However, Meta have walked back the avatar drive metaverse a lot. I have a quest 3 on order and that should help put VP in perspective. At least there’s a 30 day return window.

 

[hevaKmaI]

I'm tempted to order a Vision Pro and all (despite the price), but we have a Quest 2 and don't regret that purchase for a moment. It has some cool apps, but I think one of the killer apps there is actually Supernatural (for fitness). It's a pretty great workout and a lot of fun.

Ordering one of these is tempting, but I suspect we might see some price breaks heading into the holiday season (unless demand is so high that they're hard to find).

 

[routine_analyst]

Apple Vision Pro can run all day when hooked up to a power source.

Not in California where they have planned rolling blackouts throughout the year.

 

[jz0309]

competition is a good thing, in this case, we are looking at apples (the fruit) and broccoli (vegetable)