Meta Quest 3 Takes On Apple Vision Pro: What You Need to Know — Release Date, Specs, And Prices Leak Before Connect

Meta Platforms Inc.’s META Quest 3 is set to compete head-to-head with Apple Inc.’s AAPL Vision Pro, and in this article, we have provided a factual overview of its release date, specifications, and pricing, all revealed ahead of the Meta Connect event.

What Happened: The Meta Quest 3 will debut at the upcoming Meta Connect event on Sept. 27. It will come with a 40% slimmer design than its predecessor and high-resolution color mixed reality combining AR/VR elements.

But here’s the exciting part – Latest rumors suggest that Quest 3 might hit the shelves on Oct. 10, just around two weeks after the Connect.

Now, this isn’t set in stone, but this was reported by an X (formerly Twitter) user named Luna on the platform, who supposedly got the info from an insider at GameStop.

See Also: How Does Apple’s Vision Pro Compare With Meta’s Quest 3?

Here’s a compilation of all the leaks, rumors, and confirmed reports related to Meta Quest 3: 

Pricing Details: The base model with 128GB of storage is priced at $499, a detail previously confirmed by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. However, the aforementioned leak also suggested a higher-tier model priced at $649. This may come with 512GB of storage. 

Europe And Britain Price Drops: Interestingly, Meta has reportedly reduced the base 128GB model prices in select regions. In the EU, the price has dropped from €569.99 to €549.99, and in the U.K., it decreased from £499.99 to £479.99. 

The reason behind these potential price drops remains unclear, but it’s undoubtedly a welcome development for European customers, considering that the Quest 3 will be the most expensive headset by the company to date. 

Processor Power: The Quest 3 is expected to be equipped with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset, which could deliver “twice the graphics performance” of the XR2 Gen 1 that powered the Meta Quest 2.

RAM Revelation: Previously, a Reddit leak quashed previous reports and suggested that the headset would come with 8 GB of RAM, not 12 GB. This decision may disappoint some, especially considering that the Meta Quest Pro boasts 12 GB of RAM.

Passthrough And Display Specs: The same leaked spec sheet, which seems to be marketing material from Meta, provides details on the “High-fidelity, full-color passthrough powered by Meta Reality.” It mentions a 4MP color video passthrough with 18 pixels per degree resolution. 

It’s important to note that the 18 PPD figure is likely specific to the video passthrough function and not indicative of the expected PPD when using the headset in virtual reality, where a higher resolution may be anticipated, reported Tom’s Guide.  

Additional Specs: Aside from the RAM and passthrough details, the leaked specifications largely confirm what was previously known. The headset is expected to feature an LCD with a resolution of 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye, achieved through pancake lenses.

Why It’s Important: In June earlier this year, Zuckerberg revealed the Quest 3 just a few days before Apple launched its Vision Pro. 

The Meta CEO said the Quest 3 was the ultimate way to experience mixed and virtual reality using a single device.

It is worth noting that Apple’s Vision Pro has a hefty price tag of $3499. While Meta Quest 3 is relatively cheaper, Quest Pro is currently priced at $999.99 in the U.S.

Users will have to wait until early 2024 to get their hands on the Vision Pro in the U.S., which will be released in other countries later in the year.

Image Credits – Shutterstock

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