June Wan/ZDNET
At the height of the pandemic, the headset then called Oculus Quest 2 was THE virtual reality (VR) headset that everyone was buying. Entertainment was limited to one’s living space, which positioned this competitively priced headset as the definitive and most affordable gateway to virtual realities far, far away.
Three years later, as the buzz around VR has been eclipsed by cutting-edge technologies like generative AI, robotics, and even mixed reality (MR), Meta is releasing the highly anticipated successor to the Quest 2. L The hope is to satisfy enthusiasts who truly believe in a grand metaverse, while also bringing new appeal to a market that last year was driven solely by a $3,500 headset that hasn’t even been released yet .
Meta is offering the Quest 3 at a price €200 higher than the previous version of the Quest. So, what do you get for this supplement? Has Meta done enough to deserve your money and attention? Here’s my analysis, after spending an afternoon with the Quest 3 before the Meta Connect event.
The design of this helmet is new
To begin with, the most notable difference between the new and old Quest model is the design. This change was announced by Meta six months ago when the company released the trailer for the Quest 3 a day before Apple unveiled the Vision Pro.
The new headset is not only sleeker and less bulky to wear, but it features an improved fit system that Meta says should help fit more users, including those who wear glasses. But even with the push and pull mechanism to extend the rim of the skirt, I had trouble getting my mid-sized frames to fit into the helmet, which I was able to do with the Quest 2.
Here’s a closer look at Meta’s new fit system. June Wan/ZDNET
For users who have glasses, like me, the hope with this new headset is that there is enough room for our glasses, and hope that the interpupillary distances (ID) are wide enough to suit our vision. natural. Otherwise, the alternative is to purchase additional lenses recommended by Meta and made in partnership with Zenni, for $50. I will continue to use the Quest 3 with these lenses to test their effectiveness for eyeglass wearers.
Improved display quality
With the image above, you may have been able to see the new optical assembly of pancake lenses (reduced thickness) that Meta has integrated. It’s similar to the Quest Pro and significantly reduces reflections and other artifacts that weaken the immersive quality of VR experiences. Most interestingly, the pancake lens design allowed Meta to slim down the screen side of the Quest 3 headset (40% thinner, to be exact), making it less front-heavy when ‘it is worn.
The company has still managed to improve the quality of the display compared to the Quest 2 (don’t forget that this thing still costs €200 more) with two 2064 x 2208 LCD panels that refresh up to 120 Hz and a horizontal field of view of 110 degrees and vertical of 96 degrees.
June Wan/ZDNET
Equally important to highlight is the new set of cameras on the front of the Quest 3. There are now six sensors on the gray plastic cover, two of which are RGB cameras that are integral to mixed reality experiences that require more precise color production and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). Unlike the Quest 2, which depicted your surroundings in pixelated grayscale, the Quest 3 gives a much more photo-realistic impression.
Automatic security
It’s an invitation to use the headset for games and applications blending digital overlays with your surroundings, as was highlighted during the demo of First Encounters And Ghostbusters – Rise of Ghost Lord. Before I even got into the game, the Quest 3 had already, via its multiple sensors, mapped my demo area by measuring the depth and distance of nearby furniture, objects and walls!
I didn’t even have to draw the virtual safety zones with my controller like I did on the Quest 2. In short, a stress-free experience.
Meta
The Meta Quest 3 is the first VR headset to feature Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 platform, which delivers twice as fast graphics performance and improved loading times. This is what I noticed as I moved from one game to another during the hour I spent playing. The Quest 3 also benefits from an increase in RAM, which goes from 6 to 8 GB. We will have to see what this gives in the event of prolonged use of VR and MR. So far, I’m happy with the experience.
ZDNET’s (provisional) purchasing advice for the Meta Quest 3
As we’ve already mentioned, Meta sells the Quest 3 with a 128GB hard drive. This configuration should be enough for dozens of VR games and app downloads, but if you need more, you’ll have to pay €700 for the 512 GB variant. Indeed, Meta will not offer this year’s Quest in 256 GB, which means that you will have to settle for storage space that is either just enough or too large.
Stay tuned to ZDNET for a full review of the Quest 3 headset, where I’ll delve into its performance, battery life, mixed reality apps, and more.
Source: “ZDNet.com”