The Meta Quest 3 is out now at $499.99 (the price of the base version with 128GB of storage) or $649.99 (for those interested in having four times as much storage). Purchases made between now and February 9, 2024 will also receive a complimentary digital copy of Asgard's Wrath 2, the triple-A open world action RPG due to be released on December 15.
Meta has presented the Quest 3 as the first mass-market mixed-reality headset, but will it be enough of a leap over the Quest 2 to entice the audience despite its higher pricing? I've asked that and more in an interview with Ethan Palmer, FQA Manager at Keywords Studios. Keywords FQA has been at the forefront of VR testing for many years now, helping test all the Meta Quest headsets since the original ahead of their commercial launches. Without further ado, check out what he had to say about the Meta Quest 3 below.
What's your favorite new Meta Quest 3 feature and why?
The high-resolution colour passthrough cameras are an absolute game changer for VR. I think we’re going to be seeing a lot of changes to how people are using their headsets, from things as simple as watching a movie all the way to setting up portals in their own home.
Do you think most developers will update existing Quest games to take advantage of the new features, or will Quest 3 users have to wait for new games?
There are certainly apps already out on the Quest store which aimed to take advantage of some passthrough features in the past, such as I Expect You to Die: Home Sweet Home from Schell Games, which really show that developers have been eager for more features like the colour passthrough for some time. Still, I think the lion’s share of truly immersive mixed reality games is yet to come, and I’m excited to see more of what’s in store.
How much more powerful is the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, in your opinion? What can developers do with it that they couldn't with the previous version?
The Gen 2 is a massive upgrade from the previous generation, and I really think that will give developers a chance to narrow the gap slightly with console gaming when making AAA titles for Meta Quest 3. Over double the GPU power means graphics are getting a huge upgrade on Quest 3, and the enhanced AI features on the chip allow for more cameras, more room mapping, more hand-tracking, voice recognition, and so much more. I think the increased power here should really allow developers to get creative with how they are developing for the Quest 3.
How would you rank the Meta Quest 3 against Sony's PS VR2?
Both headsets are approaching the same goal - an immersive, enjoyable VR experience - from different angles. While the new XR2 chipset is certainly an impressive upgrade, it’s difficult to compete with the PS5’s 10 teraflops of processing power. On the other hand, Meta Quest 3’s backward compatibility means you instantly have a huge catalog of games to enjoy, with wireless capabilities. Each headset has its own strengths. Users will need to consider what’s most important to them in a VR experience.
The Quest 3 does not support foveated rendering. Is it a misstep from Meta?
The enhanced ability for eye-tracking that foveated rendering introduces would certainly be interesting to see on Meta Quest 3, but I can say that the headset feels incredibly immersive as is.
Some believe the Quest 3's price point to be too high to break into the mainstream market. What do you think about that?
Even with the increased price over Meta Quest 2, it remains one of the cheapest pure-VR consoles on the market. It also boasts a massive games catalogue of not just great games, but great exclusives. I think once people get their hands on the Quest 3, they’ll see just how easy it is to get lost in the headset.
What's your takeaway on the Virtual Reality gaming industry? What will it take to ensure VR becomes the future standard of gaming?
I truly think the VR gaming industry is a breath of fresh air for the games market in general. It has already allowed for never-before-seen levels of immersion while also creating some of the most unique and creative gameplay mechanics I’ve seen.
It’s so incredible to step into the world of the story you are experiencing and truly get lost in it. I think the VR space has a long way to go before it becomes the standard of video games, if it ever does. But right now is a very exciting time for VR with big influxes of developers creating VR experiences, and the hardware just getting better and better.
I certainly think VR deserves its own carve-out in the games atmosphere. The big roadblocks right now, from my perspective, are player comfort in tackling things like motion sickness, but increased fidelity and accessibility guidelines are inching us closer.
Thank you for your time.
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