Meta Quest 3 will be another virtual reality browser from Zuckerberg’s company and coming next fall anticipating Apple’s highly anticipated mixed reality device, which should be a major drag in this technology group.

Meta has yet to reveal any official details about this development, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims he had access to a prototype of the model slated for release in October 2023. It will replace the Oculus Quest 2, a device that at the time was the most interesting headset in terms of features/price, but which was launched in 2020 and shows the passage of time.

Rumor has it that Gurman is Meta Quest 3 thinner and noticeably lighter than its predecessor, it ditched the use of plastic for the fabric straps that hold it on the head. The viewer will be able to fully function standalone but also connected to a PC via Oculus Link. So any development compatible with the Rift ecosystem, app or game will run. Meta is the company that sells the most VR and has the most software available.

The biggest news will come from array of cameras. And it is Meta who wants to expand the possibilities of VR and offer a more complete XR device, such as the one being developed by Apple that includes mixed reality capabilities. To do this, Meta has completely redesigned the front of the device. Instead of a nondescript-looking gray face, it has three pill-shaped vertical sensor areas. Left and right color video cameras drive through, which are the ones that allow us to see the world around them. The control panel includes a depth sensor, the first to be mounted on a Quest scope.

On the bottom is a volume control and a wheel for adjusting the interpupillary distance, or IPD. This is used as a yardstick to adjust the lens position for the best viewing experience. In addition to being able to configure Quest 3 to a greater extent allows you to adjust the IPD without removing the headphones. This is a big improvement over the Quest 2, which required you to take off your headphones and manually move the screens on the device.

There is also a power button and a USB-C port on the side of the headphones. Finally, Gurman says performance is much better, likely thanks to Qualcomm’s new dedicated SoC. In terms of price, Meta Quest 3 is expected to be slightly more expensive than version 2, between $400 and $500, but four to five times cheaper than Apple AR. The Meta Quest Gaming Showcase is expected to serve as a showcase for the new viewer, which will be commercialized later in October.