Meta Debuts $500 Quest 3 as Apple Prepares to Launch $3,500 Vision Pro Headset Next Year

Facebook parent company Meta today announced the upcoming launch of the $500 Meta Quest 3, its newest mixed reality headset that goes up against the much more expensive Vision Pro that Apple plans to launch next year.

meta quest 3
Meta claims that the Quest 3 was redesigned from the inside out, and it features "4K+ Infinite Display resolution" thanks to two displays with a 2064x2208 resolution per eye and an "experimental" 120Hz refresh rate. Comparatively, Apple's headset uses 4K micro-OLED displays and provide a total of 23 million pixels.

The Quest 3 is equipped with 3D spatial audio and a 40 percent louder volume range than the Quest 2. Meta is using Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip for the headset, and it offers double the GPU processing power of the Meta Quest 2. Meta says with the new chip, the Quest 3 supports "fast-action gaming, seamless full-color, and high-resolution passthrough."

Two RGB cameras with 10x better resolution than the Quest 2 provide a view of the surrounding area, and virtual objects are able to be manipulated in your physical space. This is the augmented reality part of the headset, and it mirrors what's possible with the Vision Pro.

meta quest 3 controllers
The Meta Quest 3 weighs in at 515 grams, which is over a pound, and it is slightly heavier than the Quest 2. There is, however, a slimmer optic profile thanks to new pancake lenses, so Meta says the headset is more comfortable to wear. There is a soft adjustable strap that holds it on the head, and the facial interface can be adjusted to improve comfort and field of view. There is 110 degree horizontal field of view and a 96 degree vertical field of view for extended peripheral vision, plus sharpness in the center field of view has been increased by 25 percent. Unlike Apple's headset, there is no eye tracking or iris scanning.

For input, the Meta Quest 3 uses two Touch Plus Controllers that serve as a "natural extension" of the hands and offer tactile haptic feedback. Meta is using computer vision and machine learning sensors to follow hand gestures, and there are a series of cameras that enable controller-free navigation, which is similar to what's possible with the Vision Pro headset.

The Meta Quest 3 lasts for up to 2.2 hours per charge on average, and it does not include an external battery pack. The Apple Vision Pro also lasts for two hours when connected to its external battery, but it can run all day when hooked up to a power source.

Other features include 8GB RAM, Wi-Fi 6E, an LED that lets people nearby know when cameras are in use, and support for connecting to a PC with the Meta Quest Link Cable and Air Link.

The Meta Quest 3 is priced at $499.99 for 128GB of storage or $649.99 for 512GB of storage and can be pre-ordered from the Meta website, Best Buy, and other retailers starting today. Orders are set to start arriving in October.

Tags: Facebook, Meta

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2025 in 10 Minutes

Monday June 9, 2025 5:21 pm PDT by
At today's WWDC 2025 keynote event, Apple unveiled a new design that will inform the next decade of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS development, so needless to say, it was a busy day. Apple also unveiled a ton of new features for the iPhone, an overhauled Spotlight interface for the Mac, and a ton of updates that make the iPad more like a Mac than ever before. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
iPadOS 26 Apple Newsroom

Apple Says iPadOS 26 is Compatible With These iPad Models

Monday June 9, 2025 11:22 am PDT by
Apple today announced that iPadOS 26 will be compatible with the iPad models listed below. iPadOS 26 features a new Liquid Glass design, a menu bar, improved app windowing, and more. iPadOS 26 supports the following iPad models:iPad Pro (M4) iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later) iPad Air (M2 and later) iPad Air (3rd generation and...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple 'Sherlocked' These Apps at WWDC 2025

Wednesday June 11, 2025 7:14 am PDT by
Apple at WWDC previewed a bunch of new features coming in its updated operating systems, but certain changes will have been met with dismay by third-party developers who already offer apps with equivalent or similar features. In other words, their product has been "sherlocked" by Apple. When Apple creates an app or a feature that has functionality found in a third-party app, it is referred...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Says These 13 Vehicle Brands Will Soon Offer iPhone Car Keys

Monday June 9, 2025 2:38 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote today, Apple said that 13...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 26 Includes These 100 New Features and Changes for Your iPhone

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:59 am PDT by
Apple has announced iOS 26, and the upcoming software update includes a long list of new features and changes for iPhones. The first iOS 26 developer beta is now available, and a public beta will follow next month. The update will be released later this year. iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and newer. Below, we have provided a high-level overview of 100 new features and changes ...
iOS 26 Screens

Here Are All the iOS 26 Features That Require iPhone 15 Pro or Newer

Thursday June 12, 2025 4:53 am PDT by
With iOS 26, Apple has introduced some major changes to the iPhone experience, headlined by the new Liquid Glass redesign that's available across all compatible devices. However, several of the update's features are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, since they rely on Apple Intelligence. The following features are powered by on-device large language models and machine...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Hate iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design? Here's How to Tone It Down

Wednesday June 11, 2025 4:22 pm PDT by
iOS 26 features a whole new design material that Apple calls Liquid Glass, with a focus on transparency that lets the content on your display shine through the controls. If you're not a fan of the look, or are having trouble with readability, there is a step that you can take to make things more opaque without entirely losing out on the new look. Apple has multiple Accessibility options that ...

Top Rated Comments

nattK Avatar
22 months ago
More like $500 upfront, the rest you pay with your privacy.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
22 months ago
To be fair it’s a much better buy, vr is made for gaming, the vision pro doesn’t have a market yes it’s Apple and we love the eco system but it’s really just to extend your screens and game on a 2d virtual tv, the guest 3 is much cheaper and gaming is a big focus. Still don’t get the hype for vision pro what can you really do on it
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
erikkfi Avatar
22 months ago
What I can't figure out is why you need to sign in through the mobile app in order to use the Quest. Can anyone think of why that would be the case?

Attachment Image
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gleepskip Avatar
22 months ago
Purchase includes the sale of all of your "Meta"-data to whoever Mark chooses to.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacTwick Avatar
22 months ago
I like how Zuckie bashes the Vision Pro like the two products are even in the same category.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DelayedGratificationGene Avatar
22 months ago
A social media company trying to do hardware/software that competes with Apple is absurd.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)