Zuckerberg Unveils Quest 3: Meta's Efforts to Stay Ahead in the Mixed Reality Headset Game
Zuckerberg Unveils Quest 3: Meta's Efforts to Stay Ahead in the Mixed Reality Headset Game - Meta, the technology company formerly known as Facebook, has just launched its latest product, the Meta Quest 3, a mixed reality headset that offers a more immersive and lifelike virtual experience. The product was announced by CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the virtual Meta Connect event on Wednesday, September 27, 2023.
The Meta Quest 3 is a total overhaul of the previous models, the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro. With a more powerful processor, high-resolution display, updated Touch Plus controllers, and a slimmer and more comfortable design, the Meta Quest 3 offers better performance and exciting new features. One of the key features is support for Meta Reality, a platform that allows users to enjoy mixed reality experiences that blend the real world with the virtual world.
"If you take a digital ball and throw it against a physical wall, it will bounce off," Zuckerberg said at the Meta Connect event. "If someone is shooting at you and you want to avoid the shots, you just need to hide behind your physical couch."
The Meta Quest 3 also provides full access to the Meta virtual library, which now features VR-friendly Roblox, released on Wednesday, and will add Xbox cloud gaming in December, giving gamers the opportunity to play titles like Halo and Minecraft on a large screen anywhere.
The headset is available for pre-order now and officially hits stores on October 10, available in two storage options (128GB and 512GB). The starting price for the headset is $500.
The Meta Quest 3 is part of Meta's efforts to dominate the mixed reality headset market, which also aligns with Zuckerberg's personal vision for the next-generation internet where users can interact with each other in virtual spaces resembling real life. The product is also the result of intense competition between two tech giants, Meta and Apple, both vying to dominate the headset space.
Apple itself has launched its own product, the Apple Vision Pro, in June. This product is a dedicated mixed reality headset aimed at providing a more realistic and interactive experience than VR. However, the product comes with a hefty price tag of $3,499.
Zuckerberg claims that the Meta Quest 3 is the "first mainstream mixed reality headset" and sought to outpace the launch of Apple Vision Pro by teasing the Meta Quest 3 a few days before its rival's major announcement. However, both companies have had tense relations even before entering the headset market. They have competed over news and messaging features, and their CEOs have traded jabs over data privacy policies and app stores.
