New Quest headset revealed by Meta before Apple’s presentation
Now is the perfect time to announce a new VR set, since Apple is just about to reveal its potentially game-changing VR headset.
The MetaQuest 3, 40% thinner and 2x more powerful than the previous version, was revealed by Meta. Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon that powers the headset makes it incredibly fast. The hand controller redesign will improve the functionality and ergonomics. The new headset will go on sale this fall and be priced at $500 and up. More details will be revealed on September 27 at the Meta Connect event.
The Meta Quest 2 came out in fall 2020, and quickly became very popular, particularly due to the combination of quality and low price. It costs $400 (slated to go down to $300 on June 4), and offers a hi-res display and inside-out tracking.
Industry rumors suggest that the new headset will have improved video pass-through capabilities that utilize its external cameras, rather than clear lenses with an overlay of some digital imagery, as with AR. It will also be a lot thinner and lighter than its predecessor.
Apple’s VR headset, to be introduced at WWDC, is slated to be an entirely new platform that has been developed for many years. It will be the first major hardware product introduced by Apple since the 2015 reveal of te Apple Watch.
Other companies, e.g., Lenovo and Magic Leap, are also rushing to position their products prior to Apple’s presentation. Neither, however, are as customer-friendly as the upcoming Meta Quest headset.