Meta Quest 3 unveiled: Price, features, and when you can buy Meta’s new VR headset

The Quest 3 will be Meta's first headset to feature a next-generation Snapdragon chipset that can deliver more than twice the graphical performance as the previous generation found in the Quest 2. 

Also: Best VR headsets right now: For gaming and the metaverse

The form factor of the headset is 40% slimmer compared to the Quest 2 and was redesigned to be more comfortable and have a sleeker look, according to Meta. 

The Quest 3's Touch Plus controllers were also redesigned to have a more “ergonomic” configuration. 

In terms of applications, the headset will be compatible with the Quest 2's catalog of over 500 VR games and apps, with more VR and MR titles lined up for launch. 

Also: Will Apple's Reality Pro signal the beginning of the immersive internet?

The 128GB headset itself will retail for $499.99 upon launch later this year, with additional storage options available. If you're  interested in receiving updates on the Meta Quest 3, you can sign up for email updates here. 

“Quest 3 makes Meta Reality available to even more people and at a lower price point, making it our first mass-market offering to deliver both cutting-edge VR and MR experiences in a single device, setting a new benchmark for future headsets,” says Meta in the release. 

Compared to the Apple headset, which is rumored to retail at $3,000, the price of the Meta Quest 3 is on the lower end of the market cost spectrum. 

Also: What could Apple's VR headset possibly do to justify its $3000 price tag?

Meta also announced that starting June 4, the Meta Quest 2 will be available at a lower price of $299.99 for 128GB and $349.99 for the 256 GB. 

A new software update will give the Quest 2 and the Quest Pro increased CPU and GPU performance. Both headsets can expect to see up to 26% increase in CPU performance and 19% increase in GPU speed for Quest 2 and 11% for Quest Pro. 

If you have been considering taking buying yourself a new headset, you may want to hold off to see what Meta's and Apple's latest headsets have to offer once they hit the market.