If you are disappointed by the astronomically high price of the Meta Quest Pro, please do not be dissatisfied. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has confirmed that the upcoming Oculus Quest 3 will cost somewhere between $300 and $500 (roughly 270 to 450 / AU$480 to AU$800).
At the Meta Connect keynote for 2022, we were treated to Project Cambria''s full reveal, a.k.a. the Meta Quest Pro Zuckerberg hasnt let the event pass by without mentioning the true successor to the Oculus Quest 2.
In an interview with Stratechery (opens in a new tab), the Meta CEO confirmed that the Oculus Quest 3 was on its way, but not this year, and that it will be in the price range of $300, $400, or $500 in this zone.
The low-key announcement comes after a massive leak back in September which indicated that the Quest 3 might look similar to the Quest 2, although thanks to the addition of new ''pancake lenses, it should be thinner (and hopefully a bit lighter) than its predecessor.
The Quest 3s leak pattern does not reveal any signs of eye-tracking a feature that''s also present on the Meta Quest Pro, and which the upcoming PlayStation VR 2 headset will also have. Meta had given us the impression that these were key features that it wanted to bring to its budget-friendly headsets as soon as it could, but that may not be the case.
As we always stated, leaks should be avoided with a pinch of salt. The headset leaked in September might be for an earlier or alternative version of the Quest 3, or it might be a complete fake. The only way to get it in our hands, and based on Zuckerberg''s observations, it''s at least a year away.
Analysis: a headset worth waiting for
If you aren''t sold on the Oculus Quest 2 and are instead weighing up the Meta Quest Pro and the Oculus Quest 3, then you should look into what you most desire from a VR headset.
If youre are looking for a headset that has powerful components under the hood, which is comfier than any other standalone headset we have used today, then the Meta Quest Pro might be the device for you; however, at $1,500 / 1,500 / $2,450 its not exactly cheap, and from our experience it will be much better suited to mixed reality experiences than VR ones.
Because it is designed to give you a fairly clear look at the real world out the sides and bottom of the headset, while a more traditionally designed VR headset completely obscures your perception of reality.
If you prefer to get a budget-friendly headset that will completely immerse you in the best VR games, without having to purchase an additional attachment, then you may want to wait for the Oculus Quest 3.
If youre in the United Kingdom, you might want to see the Pico 4 as your new competitor.