Everything you can do with the new Meta Quest 3 mixed reality headset
Published: 12:29 29 Sep 2023 EDT
This week Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:FB) unveiled the Quest 3, the company’s latest iteration of its mixed reality goggles.
The $499 goggles will be available starting October 10, with pre-orders launching on Wednesday.
The Meta Connect conference made a few things clear, namely that this new tech is a significant upgrade from the Quest 2. First of all, it’s powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 platform, giving it double the processing power of its predecessor.
That’s apparent in the graphics, with full-color passthrough tech giving Quest 3 10 times as many pixels as the Quest 2. The “optical stack” is improved, up a to 2064x2208 pixel display for each eye with a 100-degree field of view.
So what can future Meta Quest 3 users look forward to?
The mixed reality platform is powered by built-in cameras that allow for virtual reality content to be overlaid over the real world. For example, a game called “First Encounters” lets users shoot a laser gun through a virtual wall, chipping away pieces to reveal a path into the real world.
In terms of games, Quest 3 is expected to feature more than 100 new and upgraded games this year, with Xbox Cloud Gaming expected to also join the Quest platform in December. That would give users access to Halo Infinite and Minecraft Legends, among other games.
The headset will also allow users to customize their mixed reality environments with “augments” like collectible trophies or decor. Affixing a medal virtually to a real-world wall or placing them on a shelf will keep them there for users to view whenever they put on the headset.
“Next year, you’ll be able to customize your space with a library of augments that interact with the world in ways that physical objects can’t,” said Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s chief technology officer. “These can be dynamic 3D objects or 2D displays, and they can all exist together in the same space.”
“You can size, place and spatially anchor augments, so every time you put on your headset, they’re right where you left them,” Bosworth added.
Also coming down the pike is a collaboration with Headspace, which Meta is calling a “virtual playground for your mind.” Users will be able to participate in mindfulness experiences designed to help them step out of VR and back into the real world.
Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com
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