The Meta Quest 3 has just been revealed and we now have all the key information about the sequel to the Meta Quest 2. You can expect plenty of change when it comes to specs but there’s also a significant change to price. Here’s how the new headset stacks up against its popular predecessor.
The original Meta (formerly Oculus) Quest 2, at a starting price of £299/$299, was a great entry point into virtual reality for many. Meta has sought to build on this loyalty, and its obsession with the metaverse, with new launches. That started with the Meta Quest Pro, and now here we are with the Meta Quest 3.
The new Meta Quest 3 offers quite a few differences compared with the Meta Quest 2, so let’s dive into all the key differences so you can decide if it’s worth the upgrade.
Much of the talk around Meta’s new headset will be about its price. The new Quest 3 starts at £499/$499. That’s up from the hiked £399/$399 price of the Meta Quest 2. The Meta Quest 2 was painfully raised from its £299/$299 starting price last year but is being reduced back down on June 4th.
The $200 difference will make a choice between these two quite easy for many, with you simply needing to ask yourself whether you’re willing to spend almost £500/$500 on an AR/VR headset. If not, there’s a great one available at £299/$299.
The Quest 3 offers boosted power
The new Meta Quest 3 dons the sequel chipset to what features in the Meta Quest 2. In the Quest 3, you’ll find the a next-gen Snapdragon VR chip, up from the XR2 in the Quest 2. We’ll have to test this out for ourselves but Meta is touting double the graphical performance on the new headset. The display will also offer higher resolution.
The new chip will also be powering more in-depth augmented reality experiences, including Full Colour Passthrough, with the Quest 3 donning improved camera technology on the outside.
However, Meta is touting that the Quest 2 (and Quest Pro) up to a 26% CPU performance boost and up to 19% GPU jump through an upcoming software update.
Outside of the raw specs, Meta has upgraded the hardware across the board. Despite sporting more power, you’ll find that the Meta Quest 3 is slimmer than the Quest 2. It will be music to the ears who anyone who found the, already quite compact, Meta Quest 2 still too daunting a wear for a longer gaming session.
The materials look to have been updated too, with the Quest 3 showing off more fabric this time, compared to the plastic-laden Quest 2.
