Welcome to the TechRadar live blog for Meta Connect 2023. We’ll be keeping you updated with everything that’s announced at this year’s Meta event as it happens, as well as giving you our expert thoughts on all the hardware and software that’s announced.
This year we know the headline item will be the Meta Quest 3, a new VR headset set to replace the Oculus Quest 2 (the most popular VR headset ever made). Meta has called the Quest 3 its “most powerful headset” yet, but beyond this, its price and that it’ll have full-color mixed reality like the Meta Quest Pro there’s a lot we still don’t know – chiefly when it will release.
Alongside the Quest 3, Meta will likely show off other VR and AR tech it’s working on (though expect a lot of the stuff to still be in fairly early development stages, based on previous years’ keynotes), as well as AI advancements it’s developing.
Meta Connect 2023 is here! I’m Hamish and I’ll be with you for the next hour or so as Meta takes us through all of its VR and AI announcements. The biggest of which will be the Meta Quest 3 VR headset.
I’m super excited to see this new device, especially its mixed reality capabilities, as this seems to be a major focus for Meta. The Meta Quest Pro left a lot to be desired in this department, though, so the Quest 3 needs to be a big improvement if it wants to convince us that mixed reality is the future of XR tech.
(Image credit: Future)
The Meta Quest 3 is launching in a very different VR world than when the Quest 2 was released. VR is way more mainstream, and now massive names like Apple are starting to get involved with the likes of the Apple Vision Pro.
Apple’s headset is set to launch at roughly seven times the price of the Quest 3 so the two gadgets aren’t exactly in direct competition with each other. But Apple is a very recognisable name and when it enters a new market people pay attention.
Meta’s Quest 3 is a chance for it to win back the VR spotlight, and in a few minutes, we’ll see what it has in store for us.
(Image credit: Xbox)
Less than one minute until Meta Connect starts. I’m really hoping we see more of Meta’s AR tech, and some more details about its partnership with Microsoft.
I really want to play Xbox in VR, but its been a whole year since we heard anything.
(Image credit: Meta)
Oops, maybe we spoke too soon, it looks like Meta Connect 2023 is going to be delayed by about 30 minutes folks!
Things now look set to start at 6:30 pm BST / 10:30 am PST / 1:30 pm EST.
(Image credit: Meta)
While we wait, let’s recap some of the Meta Quest 3 details we do know.
First off, the price of the cheapest 128GB model will be $499 / £499 which is up a decent amount from the launch price of the Oculus Quest 2 at £299 / $299 / AU$479.
It’s unclear how many different models of Quest 3 there will be, but we expect at least one more with either 256GB or 512GB of storage at a higher price than the base model. Our best guess would put it around $599 / £599 or potentially up to $699 / £699 but we’ll have to wait and see what Meta announces.
(Image credit: Meta)
We also know that the Meta Quest 3 boasts a 40% slimmer design than the Quest 2, though it’s unclear if it’ll be lighter or just smaller than its predecessor.
This slimmed-down design will be thanks to its pancake lens optical system. These lenses were also used by the Meta Quest Pro and not only offer visual enhancements over the Ques 2’s Fresnel lenses, but they’re more compact to boot.
The controllers will have a trimmed-down design as well as they lack a tracking ring like the one found on the Quest 2 handsets. The Quest Pro also dumped the tracking ring but replaced it with tracking cameras built into its controllers; the Quest 3’s controllers seem to lack these cameras so I’m admittedly a little worried about them. Hopefully, Meta has an accurate tracking system worked out otherwise its new handsets might be a downgrade.
(Image credit: Meta)
Only five minutes more until Meta Connect 2023 begins, if this new countdown clock can be believed that is!