The Oculus Quest 3 (now known as Meta Quest 3) appears to be delayed. While a lot has changed recently for Oculus, it isn’t mainly because the company is now known as Meta, it is because of the news that Meta is working on a completely separate VR device.
Oculus Quest 3 price
The Oculus Quest 2 comes in two sizes: a 128GB model for $400 / AU$630 and a 256GB version for $500 / AU$790. So it would be good that the sequel VR headset costs about the same as its predecessor, even though the Quest 3 may cost barely less than the Quest 2.
As a result, we can see When Quest 3 comes out at a lower cost than Quest 2 to make it more accessible to new customers (a method he employed with Quest 2, which launched at a lower cost than the first Oculus Quest). Alternatively, it could follow Apple’s lead and raise the price of its products to make them look more attractive.
Oculus Quest 3 release date
Meta’s next Quest headset likely will not arrive until 2023. there are indications that Oculus Quest 3 may be released in 2022.
However, the absence of hardware announcements during the 2022 Meta Quest Gaming Showcase implies that only one gadget will be released this year. Multiple gadget announcements at a single event can make an already crowded market even more crowded.
If released at the same time, the Quest 3 and Cambria could undercut one another’s sales. With a 2023 release date looking likely, we’d go as far as to say that the Quest 3 will be released in October 2023.
Rumored features
Increased performance
The Oculus Quest 2 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR 2 platform, which provides the superb stand-alone performance we’re all used to.
The Quest 3 will have the next generation Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 CPU, a higher 12GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of storage.
While this is not much to go on, it does seem to suggest that the Quest 3 will have improved graphics performance, leading to better, more immersive games and accessible apps on the platform alone.
OLED displays
Another prediction from analyst Brad Lynch is that the Quest 3 will offer a significant breakthrough in the display sector, which is meant to replace the LCD panels of the Quest 2 with far superior OLED technology, an updated OLED type.
This can result in brighter visuals with deeper and more vivid colours for a more immersive and genuine virtual experience on the future headset. OLED has already been used in high-end VR headsets, but this is the first time it is going to be used in an entry-level VR headset in the mass market.
Leaked design
According to the leaked CAD renderings, the headset will focus more on mixed reality than virtual reality, with additional cameras, possibly with color passthrough features like the Quest Pro.
It’s also believed to use the same pancake lenses as the upcoming Pro headset, allowing for a more compact form factor, and appears to have a manually adjustable IPD wheel on the bottom. This will make adjusting the IDP much more accessible than in Quest 2, which requires removing the headset.
Verdict
Since Meta Quest 2 was a hit, Meta can improve on Meta Quest 3 and have a winner. However, they’re going further by switching to mixed reality.
VR and mixed reality are still new fields with little appeal. However, if Meta can create immersive virtual experiences, the realms of virtual reality, mixed reality, and maybe augmented reality may become more common. This should mean more applications and games to satisfy our ravenous eyes and hands.
