It’s time to check on your wallet, because it’s about to be devastated. The Meta Quest 3, which boasts a graphic processing power that’s doubled when compared with the Quest 2, has been revealed and pre-orders have been opened for its launch date on October 10.
Here’s the thing: its cheapest model, which has 128GB of storage capacity will set you back $499.99. If you want or need more storage, you can nab a secondary version with 512GB for $649.99. It probably isn’t a hugely controversial thing to say that’s a lot to ask of your average gamer. So, let’s look at what all you get for that price, and let you be the judge on if it’s worth it or not.
According to Meta, the Quest 3 features a 4K+ Infinite Display, which represents a nearly 30% increase in resolution quality when compared with the previous generation. It is approximately 40% slimmer thanks to their “next-gen pancake lens optical stack,” the Quest 3 has been redesigned with comfort in mind, and there is a 40% increase in audio range over the last model.
The cost does put it about equal with Sony’s headset in the PlayStation VR 2, which launched at $549.99. But the higher price point seems to indicate that the water-level for the latest in VR tech has risen a bit, over the years.
That being said, lest you identify as a cutting edge early tech adopter, you may choose to stick with the Meta Quest 2, which is not only significantly cheaper, but has several years of support behind it. The Quest 2 starts at $299.99 for the 128GB model, and you can get the 256GB model for $349.99. I guess it could be worse — the Meta Quest Pro starts at $999.99.