Meta Quest 3 Reportedly Boosts Mixed-Reality Tech To Take On Apple – SlashGear

Meta reportedly hasn’t refined the display hardware, but the biggest upgrade on the Quest 3 is enhanced support for mixed reality, thanks to the passthrough cameras on the front. Gurman claims the next Quest features a pair of RGB color cameras that include pass-through video support. The cameras can provide “an almost lifelike rendering of the real world,” Gurman says. That’s no small feat, especially considering the price segment of the Quest 2 and the imminent comparison with Apple’s mixed-reality headset.

Apple’s upcoming “Reality Pro” headset is said to offer mixed-reality experiences using state-of-the-art eye tracking and imaging hardware, but it is reportedly going to cost over $2,000. The Meta Quest 2, on the other hand, sells for $399.99, which is a sign that even after a generation-over-generation price hike, the Quest 3 will likely be at least four times cheaper than Apple’s headset. Meta has also improved the performance of the Quest 3 and even redesigned the controllers to look like those shipping with the Quest Pro flagship headset, the report claims.

The Quest 3 controllers reportedly drop the ring grip and rely on improved in-air hand tracking. The headset is also said to feature a depth sensor at the front that relies on tech called environment meshing to automatically identify real-world elements like the walls in your house. Meta’s headset, with mixed reality perk in tow, will likely cost over $400 and is expected to ship later this year with an expanded content library.