If you were doubting that Meta would call the next Quest headset the Quest 3, prepare to face the music.
Spotted by Upload VR, the long-rumored Quest 3 is “suddenly showing as being supported by all Quest Store apps in VR.” That’s a little surprising since Meta is likely not planning to announce or release the next-generation consumer-focused headset until later this year. But, there it is. It’s the Quest 3.
It’s not surprising to see that the next headset will be called the Quest 3 since Meta called the previous headsets the Quest and the Quest 2. The company also has the Quest Pro, but that is the professional-level headset currently focused on businesses and more serious users. The Quest 3 is likely, instead of getting the Pro’s $999 price tag, to cost at least half of that.
The leak comes on the same day that the company announced its latest update to the operating system that powers the Meta headsets. The latest update allows users to change the skybox in your home environment, letting you set whatever kind of place you want to be living whether it be in the woods or on another planet.
Make the Mountain Study into a cozy moonlit cabin retreat, or see what the Desert Terrace looks like with a storm rolling in—or hide a hundred-foot tall lizard between some buildings in Cyber City. Yes, you can upload your own custom skyboxes.
The company is also adding notifications for 2D apps like Messenger to the system. Meta says that “Messenger, for instance, will show the name and photo of the sender and the message text.” That’s pretty handy for any apps that integrate with the headset.
While I’m excited to see what Meta has in store for the Quest 3, I think all of us are mostly waiting to see what Apple does at WWDC in June. The company is expected to reveal its mixed reality headset, and it sounds like Meta is really going to have a run for its money when Apple enters the space.
I personally have the Quest 2 and it’s a great product, but I’m going to be hard-pressed to stick with the platform if Apple is in it as well. That is, if I can afford the Apple headset, which is rumored to cost upwards of $3,000. That might keep me with the Quest for a while.
