how he wants to steal the show from Apple’s headphones

Before the announcement of Apple’s first mixed reality headset, the Meta Quest 3 is the talk of the town. Not yet formalized by Facebook, it has already been tested by a journalist and specialist in the Apple universe.

The year 2023 could finally be the year of folding smartphones, but not only. Mixed reality headsets have a great chance of being the stars of the second half of 2023. The most anticipated event concerns Apple which could finally present its first headset during WWDC 2023. An important step for the Cupertino firm which would offer a very high-end model.

While waiting for the Apple event on June 5, Meta seems to want a little pressure on its rival. We know that the companies of Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook are not the best friends in the world. A rivalry that could take an even stronger turn with the launch of Apple’s headphones. Very present in this segment, the company behind Facebook is also working on its next headset. The Meta Quest 3 will not arrive right away, but the journalist Mark Gurman has been invited to take charge of the device. An interesting initiative when we know that this often well-informed journalist is a specialist in the Apple brand.

A thinner, lighter and more powerful helmet

For Mark Gurman, the Meta Quest 3 “could be Apple’s biggest competitor”. He tested a prototype of the successor to the Quest 2, which he presents as thinner, lighter and with a stronger strap with fabric. During his test, he was able to discover the Quest 3 interface, software functions or the in-game behavior of the headset. For the moment known under the code name Eureka, the device has several sensors on the front such as cameras. They allow the wearer to locate himself in his environment, some use color and there is a depth sensor. This is a novelty for a Quest headset.

He specifies that the dial used to adjust the distance between the pupils and the volume adjustment now take place on the lower part. A change presented as “a great improvement over the Quest 2”. The power button and the USB-C port remain present on the side.

The journalist evokes a display quality comparable to that of the Quest 3, even if the rumors evoke an improvement in the definition. According to Mark Gurman, the two major improvements regarding the performance and processing of virtual reality. The user experience improves greatly, even though the Quest 3 does not use transparent lenses. On the performance side, the switch to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 chip seems to do Meta’s headset the greatest good.

Finally, the Bloomberg journalist evokes the presence of new “redesigned” controllers. They look like the ones that come with the Meta Quest Pro.

Quest 3, the anti-Apple headset?

This feedback is interesting and highlights clear improvements compared to Quest 2. The release date and the price of the Meta Quest 3 are not yet known, but Mark Gurman expects a marketing around 500 dollars. This price would be higher than that of the Quest 2 which – once is not customary – has experienced a price increase during its career. Three years later, Facebook would propose important improvements without competing with the future Apple headset. The latter would be sold for around 3,000 dollars, which is five times more expensive than the Meta model.

A gap that is obviously justified by the much more upscale positioning. If they are not direct competitors, the price of the Quest 3 could help it find its audience while Apple’s headset is already shaping up to be a niche product.

Meta Quest 2 128 GB at the best price Base price: 449 €