October 4th, 2023

Welcome to this weeks’ edition of The Future of VR newsletter. Thanks for subscribing to our list!

Before diving into updates, do you mind doing us a quick favor? We just launched the Future of VR Twitter page. Shoot us a quick follow - we’re giving out a free Meta Quest 3 for one lucky follower (shipping starts on October 10th so will purchase at this point).

Meta Connect 2023 - Recap

At its annual Meta Connect conference last week, Meta unveiled the highly anticipated Meta Quest 3 VR headset. Slated for release in Spring 2024, the Quest 3 aims to push VR technology forward with improved optics, performance, and form factor.

Specifications

The Meta Quest 3 features a number of hardware improvements over its predecessor, the Quest 2. It has higher resolution displays at 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye, which is 1.5x the pixels of the Quest 2. This boost in visual fidelity should make virtual worlds and experiences look sharper and more realistic.

The Quest 3 is powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon XR3 chip, which is tuned for VR and offers 50% more performance than the Quest 2's processor. This hardware bump will enable more immersive and complex VR worlds. The headset also packs 12GB of RAM, a big jump up from 6GB in the Quest 2.

In terms of design, the Quest 3 is 10% thinner and lighter than the Quest 2. It has redesigned pancake lenses to slim down the optics while improving field of view. The headset also features an eye, face and lip tracking camera that enables realistic avatars and natural facial expressions in VR.

Features

A major focus for the Quest 3 is bringing your real-world identity into virtual spaces. With the advanced hand, eye and face tracking cameras, your VR avatar will reflect natural expressions and movement.

Meta is also touting more social engagement in VR on the Quest 3. There are updated Mixed Reality features that blend physical and virtual worlds together. And with seamless avatar invitations, you can explore immersive worlds with friends and family, no matter which headset they use.

The Quest 3 will ship with Meta's new Horizon World social platform and access to popular VR games and apps. Meta is promising more triple-A VR game titles to be announced in the coming months as well.

Release Timeline

The Meta Quest 3 is currently available for pre-order on Meta's website for $499 USD and slated to start shipping in Spring 2024. This launch positions Meta with cutting-edge VR hardware as the company bets big on its vision for the metaverse. While no official release date was given, Spring 2024 points to an April-May timeframe based on typical tech product cycles.

With significant upgrades across the board, the Meta Quest 3 aims to take VR mainstream and accelerate Meta's metaverse ambitions. The initial reception from VR enthusiasts has been positive, though only real-world testing will show if the Quest 3 lives up to its hype. But with pre-orders already open, the next generation of VR is right around the corner.

Gaming

• Starfield will soon be available on a giant 2D screen

• Roblox is now available on Meta Quest

• Laser Dance is coming to Meta Quest in 2024

• Sony just dropped a TON of brand new games for PSVR 2

The Metaverse

This past week Lex Fridman interviewed Mark Zuckerberg inside of the Metaverse.

Click this link to check out the interview.

This was a pretty impressive display of new tech given that both were represented through photorealistic avatars.

The current avatars required Zuckerberg and Fridman to sit in a studio for several hours being analyzed by cameras. However, Zuckerberg aims to have this timeline cut down substantially.

He estimates that in the near future, he will be able to cut this down to 2-3 minutes with a smart phone.

VR Job Opportunities

Anywhere is looking for a Marketing Manager.

Click here to see Anywhere’s Job Posting.

Dice is looking for an Augmented Reality Developer.

Click here to see Dice openings.

That’s a wrap for this week. Watch out for our next newsletter coming next Sunday!