The Meta Quest 2, formerly known as the Oculus Quest 2, is undoubtedly the world’s most popular VR device.

It succeeded in changing the perception of VR as a cumbersome and cost-prohibitive activity, propelling it into the mainstream with an easy-to-use wireless standalone experience.

However, the Quest 2 is over two years old, at this point, and advances in both optics and mobile processing mean that its successor could be something very special.

Here’s everything we know so far about the rumoured headset, including when to expect it, how much it’ll cost and what features it might have.

Meta Quest 3 release date and pricing

  • Announcement expected October 2023 Priced around $400-$500

Meta holds its annual Meta Connect event in October each year, and since the Quest 3 was absent in 2022, we’re fairly certain that we’ll be seeing it this year.

The Quest 2 was launched at the event in 2020 (it was called Facebook Connect at the time) and then the Quest Pro was launched during the 2022 event, so it seems a safe bet that Meta will use the platform to launch its next headset, as well.

In an interview with Stratechery, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the Quest 3 will be “in the price range of $300, $400, or $500, that zone.”

The Quest 2 launched at $299 but the price was later increased to $399. Meta blamed the price increase on inflation as well as rising production costs.

Unless something drastic changes in the interim, we’d expect the Quest 3 to cost the same or more than the Quest 2, putting it in the region of $400-$500.

Meta Quest 3 design

  • Aesthetically similar to the Quest 2, soft strap, front-mounted battery Full IPD adjustment, charging dock compatible

Well-known leaker and YouTuber, Brad Lynch (SadlyItsBradley), revealed CAD images that give us a very good look at the upcoming Quest 3 headset.

Of course, these designs may not be final, and things could certainly change before the headset launches, but it gives us a pretty solid idea of what to expect.

Its design language and shape don’t stray too far from its predecessor, it still comes with a soft strap and the battery is still mounted in the front. Many expected the Quest 3 to come with an Elite-style strap, like the Pico 4, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

What’s new, though, is the positioning of the USB-C port and headphone socket, which are now located on the bungs where the strap attaches to the headset.

The Quest 3 will also feature proper IPD adjustment, with a rotatable wheel on the underside of the headset to shift the optics.

It also looks like the Quest 3 will be compatible with the Quest Pro’s charging dock, as evidenced by the pogo-pin contacts on the base of the unit.

Meta Quest 3 rumoured specs

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2? Pancake lenses, Dual displays Potentially larger RAM and storage options

The leaked renders show a four-camera array with a depth sensor on the front, along with two “canyon” cameras on the sides. It’s suspected that this will be used to enable mixed-reality experiences, just like the Quest Pro.

However, unlike the Quest Pro, the Quest 3 will likely not have eye and face tracking- in order to keep costs low.

It’s suspected that the Quest 3 will use the exact same pancake lenses as the Quest Pro, representing a significant visual upgrade over the Quest 2. It’s also expected that the headset will feature dual displays, though there have been conflicting reports on whether these will be LCD, OLED or Mini LED.

We’re expecting to see the next generation of Qualcomm XR chipset on the new headset, too. Some are calling it the XR3 and others are saying it will be called the XR2 Gen 2. Either way, expect boosted performance and likely increased efficiency, too.

Finally, we might see increased RAM and storage options, with some sources expecting up to a 512GB SSD and 12GB of RAM.

Meta Quest 3 rumours: What’s happened so far?

October 27 2022: Meta teases next-generation Quest headset coming in 2023: Is it Quest 3?

Meta has begun teasing the next-generation version of its cheaper Quest VR headset.

September 30 2022: Meta Quest 3 leaks suggest its a mixed-reality headset

XR Hardware Analyst, Brad Lynch (aka SadlyItsBradley) has posted a video that shows off CAD renderings of the Meta Quest 3 aka “Project Stinson”.