Though the upcoming Meta Quest Pro may be getting most of the limelight, a new leak indicates that the Meta Quest 3 is well on its way. The new leak gives VR fans a chance to look at a potential design that shows some significant changes from the Meta/Oculus Quest 2.
Though the Meta company has seen financial troubles recently in its VR department, its headsets have been extremely popular. The Meta/Oculus Quest offers one of the only options to play virtual reality games without being tethered to a powerful PC, making it an enjoyable choice for seasoned gamers and entry-level newbies alike.
The new leak comes from YouTuber Brad Lynch, who previously revealed key details about the Meta Quest Pro, which is said to be a more expensive and feature-heavy wireless VR headset. The Meta Quest 3, on the other hand, is expected to be the followup to the Meta Quest 2, currently available, which offers a smaller price point and more entry-level features than the Pro. However, that doesn't mean the new headset is identical to the last Meta Quest. A major design overhaul is apparent, perhaps most notably with the headset's pancake lenses.
As the name implies, pancake lenses tend to be thinner and lighter, making it a more comfortable fit for long gaming sessions. It also makes the overall headset smaller, potentially reducing the weight of the unit. Unlike the Pico 4 VR headset, the battery appears to still be housed in the visor, so it may still be a bit front-heavy. Unlike the Meta Quest 2, it appears that the Meta Quest 3 is returning to an IPD slider with more flexibility, which should give a wider range of players options to use the headset comfortably.
The unit will allegedly use a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset, which hasn't been officially announced to exist yet. It's likely to produce more power and perhaps use less energy than the prior Meta Quest releases. However, unlike the Meta Quest Pro, the Meta Quest 3 has no form of face or eye tracking, so users won't be able to show their expressions and make eye contact with other users.
The Meta Quest 3 is supposedly slated to have a release date next year. At this point, there's no known price point, but with a Pro version arriving, chances are it will still be relatively affordable. However, the Meta Quest 2 saw a price increase recently, so it's possible that the Meta Quest 3 will cost even more. For now, VR fans will have to keep watching for news and official releases about the upcoming headsets.
Source: RoadtoVR