It’s hard to believe that it’s been 3 years since the Quest 2 graced its presence and in that time we have seen some impressive updates. We have had our experience with hand-tracking and some interesting ways to use it. We have seen a refresh rate of up to 120Hz from 72Hz when the Quest 2 was released. Remember, not all updates have to be huge ones, but the small ones can count as well such as having VR legs can make an impact. But while the Quest 2 has been the home to many, myself included, with basically being able to play anywhere (you can play outside, but really, stay out of direct sunlight while playing), the Quest 2 allows you to take it anywhere and give anyone a taste of that too sweet Virtual Reality life.
But as we are at that 3-year mark, the rumors of the successor to the Quest 2, the Quest 3 started to come out, and wow, it does look interesting. Before even diving into what to expect, let’s take a look at the headset itself. At first look, we have the three lenses on the outside of the headset with the Meta symbol at the top. The two lenses on the outside are the Dual RGB color cameras with a depth projector to deliver full-color, high-fidelity passthrough—giving you the ability to blend virtual and physical spaces, while the center lens is the depth sensor which will allow for the capture of your physical environment so it can reproduce it in the display.
So what does this mean exactly? Well, the Quest 2 did have a black-and-white passthrough, the Quest 3 takes and enhances it to allow for Mixed Reality. If you enjoy numbers, that means the Quest 3 has ten times the resolution of the Quest 2 and three times the resolution of the Quest Pro. And if you think about the power, the Quest 3 is the first to use the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip. When you think about the graphics performance you have experienced with the Quest 2, the power of the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip will more than double the performance. This also means that we no longer will have to draw our own Guardian space as this will be done automatically.
The lenses have been improved as well with pancake lenses that have a display resolution of 2064 x 2208 per eye with 1218 PPI, and 25 PPD that not only should have a wider field of view but improved comfort as well. The built-in speakers have been improved, not only with the sound quality with richer bass, but we are talking about a 40% increase in the sound. Now, while some of us will be using our own headphones/headsets, that is still a great improvement when it comes to the sound.
On the left side, we have the Power Button and the USB C port.
On the right, we have the headphone jack.
Underneath we have the IPD dial that uses 53-75mm, volume, and contact chargers if you want to use the headset with the charging dock.
Other specs include:
- Dimensions – 184mm x 160mm x 98mm
- Weight – 515 grams
- 6 cameras in all for tracking that include two 4 MP RGB that provide color passthrough with 18 PPD
- Storage – the standard 128 GB or the upgraded 512 GB
- Ram – 8 GB
- Battery – 5060 mAh (about 2.2 hours)
- Redesigned controllers – Even though the Quest 3 will support hand-tracking, there are the improved Quest Touch Plus controllers. One notable difference is the removal of the tracking ring and the inclusion of the IR lights within the new controllers that allow you to experience intuitive movement and precise input. And when you add the haptics, you can move and react intuitively.
For those PCVR players, you can continue the fun thanks to the Meta Link or Air Link. But I am sure many of you want to know about the games. Keep in mind, that the Quest 3 is backward compatible with the Quest 2 library of games. But what about some of the games that will be receiving the Quest 3 graphics upgrade? Here is the current list thus far and their graphic comparison trailers:
- Drop Dead: Dual Strike
- Espire 2
- Golf+
- Guardians Frontline
- Hubris
- RedMatter 2
- The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
- Zenith: The Last City
And that’s not all. You can expect other titles to receive the Quest 3 graphic upgrade from the recent TOSS! to the upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice to Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord and so many more.
But just like the Quest 2, the Quest 3 will have accessories including Meta’s Carrying Case, Charging Doc, Elite Strap, Elite Strap with Battery, and Facial Interface. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. When you add the Prescription Lenses from HonsVR, and accessories from makers such as Kiwi Design, VR Cover, and Zyber VR, the Quest 3 is looking to become something special.
For a limited time, those that preorder the 128 GB model will receive:
- Asgard’s Wrath II (when it becomes available in the Winter of 2023) offer ends on January 27, 2024
For those that preorder the 512 GB mode will receive:
- Asgard’s Wrath II (when it becomes available in the Winter of 2023) offer ends on January 27, 2024
- 6 months of Meta Quest +
So will you be stepping into the new generation of the Quest 3?
Until then…please enjoy…
