Meta has announced the third generation of the Meta Quest 3, the world’s “first” mainstream mixed reality headset.

During Meta Connect, Meta presented Meta Quest 3. This is the successor to Meta Quest 2, not to be confused with the Meta Quest Pro released last year. The new mixed reality headset will be available from October 10th. Earlier than the Apple Vision Pro and in a completely different price range, Meta announces without batting an eyelid that the Meta Quest 3 is the “first mainstream headset for mixed reality”. The little word ‘Metaverse’ Interestingly, it is not mentioned anywhere in the announcement.

Significant improvements have been made to the hardware of the glasses compared to Meta Quest 2. The resolution has been increased by thirty percent. Each pair of glasses contains a 2064 x 2208 pixel lens. Together they create a 3D scan of the room to create a “mixed reality” in which the virtual elements also adapt to the physical environment. To acoustically immerse yourself in your mixed world, the Meta Quest 3 supports spatial audio that can be up to forty percent louder than the previous generation.

The processor that everything runs on is the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, which was also announced hot off the press last night. The Meta Quest 3 will therefore be the first commercial product to appear with the new generation processor. Qualcomm speaks of an increase in GPU performance by a factor of 2.5, and in AI processing this is even a factor of 8. The Snapdragon of up to 12 ms and is also compatible with Wifi 6E.

Microsoft 365

The Meta Quest 3 is not just for relaxation. Zuckerberg said during the announcement that Microsoft 365 apps will arrive on the headset later this year. For example, you can practice your Powerpoint presentation while projecting the slides in front of your eyes. Meta also wants to appeal to a business audience with its mixed reality headsets, although the Meta Quest Pro is intended more for that purpose.

The headset will be available from October 10th for 549 euros. This price (including VAT) is for the base model with 128 GB. You can also opt for 512 GB of storage, but then pay 699 euros.

Last updated at 11:06 a.m. with more information about the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2.