That’s some interesting timing on Meta’s press release Thursday for a VR headset not expected to come out until at least late September. Mark Zuckerberg and company wedged in a tease for Meta Quest 3 just four days ahead of WWDC23, when Apple is expected to unveil its much-anticipated AR/VR headset.
The Meta press materials even appropriated “we can’t wait,” one of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s trademark phrases.
Meta tries to distract from potential Apple AR/VR headset news coming at WWDC23 with early Quest 3 VR headset tease
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to Instagram to tease the upcoming Quest 3 headset. He wrote:
Introducing Meta Quest 3. The first mainstream headset with high-res color mixed reality. 40% thinner and more comfortable. Better displays and resolution. Next gen Qualcomm chipset with 2x the graphics performance. Our most powerful headset yet. Coming this fall.
Starting at $499, Quest 3 will be the best way to experience mixed and virtual reality in a standalone device. It’ll be compatible with Quest 2’s entire library with more titles coming. More details at our Connect conference on September 27.
The first what, exactly, and when?
So it’s the “first,” is it? The next time any serious information will come out about Quest 3 is likely to be on September 27, almost four months from now. And who knows if that will include an actual release date.
Also note Zuck’s use of the word “mainstream.” That’s some gray area. But with a price of $499, he can certainly argue the Meta 3 will be the more “mainstream” headset. Apple’s first AR/VR headset, which may include a micro-OLED display with 4,000 PPI for each eye, offering real-world clarity, is expected to sell for up to $3,000. And it may be aimed at developers rather than consumers in general.
Apple AR/VR headset rollout expected Monday
Meanwhile, we will probably hear much more about Apple’s AR/VR headset on Monday, though we can’t be certain of that. But everyone, including Meta, thinks so. We won’t know until then what Apple’s release date might be, so we can’t say which company will be first to market or how the products will compare head-to-head.
Meta also laid out the features of its eventual Quest 3 in a press release.
“From games, to fitness apps, professional collaboration tools and more, Quest has something for everyone,” it said near the bottom. “And we can’t wait to welcome even more people to the Meta Quest community.”
