So, when should we expect to see the Quest 3 and, more importantly, what can we expect from the next-gen virtual reality headset? While it’s early days, there are already whispers and leaks that give us a rough idea of what to expect from the Quest 3, including early release date rumours and feature leaks. We round up all the latest Meta Quest 3 rumours right here.
Oculus Quest 3 release date rumours
When Meta teased its high-end VR headset, Project Cambria, at the Meta Connect in 2021, many assumed it’d be the successor to the Quest 2. But as confirmed by the company at the reveal of the Quest Pro at Meta Connect 2022, it’s an entirely different headset with a focus beyond gaming. With that being said, a release in 2023 looks much more likely for the Meta Quest 3. That aligns with comments in a Meta blog post, where the company confirmed that it’d be releasing a new Quest headset once the Quest Pro was available. “We have an ambitious VR hardware roadmap, beginning with the launch of our high-end headset, Project Cambria, later this year. And we plan to ship new generations of Meta Quest after that”. The release schedule was then reiterated in Meta’s Q3 2022 earnings call, with Meta’s CFO, David Wehner mentioning the headset while warning investors of increased costs. “Conversely, our growth in cost of revenue is expected to accelerate, driven by infrastructure-related expenses and, to a lesser extent, Reality Labs hardware costs driven by the launch of our next generation of our consumer Quest headset later next year“. While Wehner doesn’t mention the Quest 3 explicitly, Meta does consider the current Quest 2 to be a consumer-focused headset, unlike the professional/creative focus for the Quest Pro. That’s a timeline backed up by analyst Brad Lynch, who suggests that the upgraded Meta Quest 3 (as it’ll be known by then) will be revealed at Meta’s Connect 2023 event and released soon after. If the company sticks to the same schedule as recent years, that could mean an October 2023 reveal for the Quest 3. Of course, that’s quite a way away, and Meta could adjust the release date schedules down the line, so it’s worth taking that information with a pinch of salt for now.
Meta Quest 3 pricing rumours
While it’s likely far too early for Meta to have priced up the upcoming headset – especially if it’s not due until the end of 2023 – Mark Zuckerberg has calmed the nerves of VR fans that were scared by the high $1500/£1500 price tag for the Meta Quest Pro.
While some were worried that the high price of the Quest Pro could point towards a higher price for the entry-level VR headset, Zuckerberg confirmed in an October 2022 interview with Stratechery that the Quest 3 will be in the “price range of $300, $400, or $500, that zone.”.
With that in mind, we expect the Quest 3 to cost a similar amount to the $399/£399 Oculus Quest 2, but we’ll update this section if we hear anything different.
Latest Meta Quest 3 rumours and leaks
While it’s not due out for a while yet, the Quest 3 has already been the subject of a number of leaks, giving us a good idea about what to expect from the upcoming VR headset.
Improved performance
The Meta Quest 2 sports Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR 2 platform, offering the impressive standalone performance we’re all familiar with. It’d be safe to assume that Meta and Qualcomm would continue that relationship with the Quest 3 and the next-gen Snapdragon mobile platform, which should be available by the time the Quest 3 goes into production. VR analyst Brad Lynch initially suggested that Meta could take a different route, instead developing its own chipset for the upcoming headset. The analyst claimed the company was rumoured to be working on a chip with a “focus on a GPU that is better designed for VR loads” as to “not rely on an SoC that all smaller XR players will use”. However, in a follow-up YouTube video in late September 2021, Lynch now suggests that the Quest 3 will indeed sport the next-generation Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset alongside a boosted 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. While that doesn’t give us much to go on, it seems to confirm that the Quest 3 will have better graphics performance, which should translate to better, more immersive games and apps available on the standalone platform.
Updated LCD displays
Another prediction from analyst Brad Lynch suggests that the Quest 3 will offer quite the upgrade in the display department. While Lynch initially suggested a switch to OLED was on the cards, more recent leaks suggest that Meta has decided on a higher-res, faster LCD panel than that of the Quest 2. Per Lynch via Twitter, the Quest 3 is said to sport an LCD display with a resolution of 2064×2208 per eye and at an increased 120Hz refresh rate – that’s both higher resolution and faster than the top-end Quest Pro, which bodes well for consumers. While the Quest 2 has offered an experimental 120Hz mode for the past few months, it’s exclusive to apps and games that support it, with Meta Home and other OS elements still rendered at 90Hz. The jump to 120Hz will bring a notable jump in smoothness no matter where you’re using the headset. Not much else is known about the display tech, including field of view, but it’s exciting nonetheless.
Leaked CAD renders
Our best look at the Meta Quest 3 comes from analyst Brad Lynch, who showcased leaked CAD renders of the upcoming headset in late September 2022, giving us a good idea of what to expect from the next-gen headset. The video provides meaningful insights into what to expect from the next-generation VR headset, codenamed Project Stinson internally, which essentially looks to be a combination of the Quest 2 and Quest Pro. The leaked CAD renders seem to suggest the headset will be more focused on mixed reality than simply virtual reality with more cameras, likely with colour passthrough capabilities like the Quest Pro. It’s also said to have the same pancake lenses as the Pro headset, which allows for a more compact form factor, and it looks like there will be a manually adjustable IPD wheel on the bottom of the headset too. That’ll make it much easier to adjust the IDP than the Quest 2, which requires you to take the headset off. The big difference between the Quest 3 and Quest Pro? Lynch claims that the Quest 3 won’t include eye or face tracking, two crucial features of the Pro headset. It’s likely a cost-saving measure more than anything, allowing Meta to keep the price of the Quest 3 down and more affordable for customers – especially with inflation levels rising rapidly in many regions around the world. The video goes into granular detail about elements like cooling and audio, so sit down and prepare for an 18-minute unofficial deep dive into the Quest 3.
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Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
