Quest 3 unveiled by Meta ahead of Apple's VR debut

Quest 3 unveiled: Apple's WWDC is just a few days away and the biggest rumour related to this year's event is that the Cupertino-based company may launch mixed reality, a combination of virtual reality and augmented reality, headset. Ahead of that, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday revealed the Quest 3.

The company's next-generation mixed reality headset comes as it braces for Apple to potentially reshape a nascent market that Meta has dominated so far.

Priced starting at $499, the device will be 40 per cent thinner than the company's previous headset.  Zuckerberg, in an Instagram post ahead of Meta's annual gaming conference, said that the headset features colour mixed reality, which combines augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) elements.

As expected, Meta has also announced that its existing Quest 2 headsets will get a price cut. On top of that, it will add performance upgrades to those devices aimed at delivering a smoother user experience. The Quest 3 will have a new Qualcomm chipset with twice the graphics performance as the Quest 2, Zuckerberg said. 

He said the device would launch in the autumn and promised more details at the company's annual AR/VR conference on September 27. 

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Meta currently dominates the market for AR/VR devices, with a nearly 80 per cent share of the 8.8 million headsets sold in 2022, according to an estimate by market research firm IDC.

Free for all developers, WWDC23 will take place in an online format from June 5 through 9, with an opportunity for developers and students to celebrate in person at a special experience at Apple Park on opening day.

Throughout the week, developers will be able to connect directly with Apple engineers and experts through one-on-one labs and activities in Slack for guidance on building innovative and platform-differentiating apps and games.

With Reuters inputs