In a video posted to his Instagram account on Thursday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced the new Quest 3, which will go on sale in the fall. It features virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies — dubbed “mixed reality” — that allow users to interact in a completely digital environment, as well as graphics overlaid on the real world.
Meta's Quest 3 device in use. Mark Zuckerberg has called it the company's 'most powerful headset ever', with 40% thinner hardware and double the graphics performance. Image: Meta
Zuckerberg calls it Meta's “most powerful headset ever,” with 40 percent thinner hardware and double the graphics performance.
Meta's reveal represents an effort to offer consumers an affordable device ahead of Apple announcing its latest products next Monday at its annual developer conference.
While Apple’s headset is expected to cost around $3,000, the Quest 3 will sell for just $499. The price of the Quest 2 model will be reduced by $100, down to $299.
“Speculation about Apple’s expected entry into the VR market has dominated tech discussions, and Meta clearly wants to remind people of its product in this space,” said Leo Gebbie, an analyst at CCS Insight, a technology consulting firm. “Meta wants to assert its supremacy in the face of new competition.”
The latest version of the Quest headset reinforces the company’s desire to lead the so-called metaverse — a virtual world where users interact with each other online. Meta’s stock price rose more than 3% in trading on Tuesday.
The tech giant sells nearly 80% of all VR and AR headsets, but the market itself is relatively small compared to smartphones, PCs or game consoles, with fewer than 9 million units sold last year, according to IDC.
Meta's new device is lighter with improved resolution and performance thanks to a new Qualcomm computer chip dedicated to mixed reality.
Quest 3 will offer improved “transition” features — the ability to transition between the real world and virtual space while wearing the headset, seamlessly and in color. Quest 2 only provided blurry footage of the real world in black and white.
However, the Quest 3 doesn't appear to have eye tracking, a feature found in Sony's latest VR headsets that adjusts the display based on where a person's eyes are pointing.
Mai Anh (according to FT, AP)
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