The Oculus Quest 3 is reportedly in development and rumored to be arriving in 2023 with uOLED displays.
During the Meta keynote event last October, the newly renamed company detailed its metaverse plans and unveiled a new VR headset: Project Cambria. While the device promised a high-end virtual reality experience, many fans were disappointed to learn the headset was not in fact the Oculus Quest 3 - a follow-up to the hugely popular Oculus Quest 2.
Thankfully, it sounds like we won’t have to wait long before we see a true successor to Meta’s budget-friendly wireless headset as new Oculus Quest 3 details have leaked, including its potential release schedule.
According to analyst Brad Lynch (via Android Central) the Oculus Quest 3 is set to include uOLED displays - an upgraded version of OLED - and will be shown off during a 2023 Connect event. If Meta sticks to its event timetable from this year, we could be playing the Quest 3 by October 2023.
As with all rumors, though, we have to remember to take this with a pinch of salt. Even if Meta does plan for these release dates, there’s a chance things could get shifted if issues such as the ongoing chip shortages do not improve.
In the same tweet, Lynch added that the Cambria headset will launch with Mini-LED displays in Q2 this year, narrowing down the device's release date from the vague “next year” that was originally given by Meta’s Angela Chain during the October 2021 event.
While a 2023 release will be a bit too far away for some fans, it makes sense for the Quest 3 to be held back for another year or so.
From Meta’s perspective, this release window means it should be able to maximize sales figures for its other headsets.
As of November 2021, the Quest 2 has reportedly sold over 10 million units and continues to blow previous VR headsets out of the water in terms of units shipped. Mainstream interest in the Quest 2 is at its peak right now, which means it may be better to hold off and release the new device when interest wanes.
Meanwhile, Project Cambria is expected to promise and deliver high-quality VR experiences at a premium price. If the Quest 3 can provide a great VR performance at a fraction of the cost, it’ll be a struggle for potential customers to find a reason to splash out on a Cambria instead.
From a player perspective, it may mean we’ll see a Quest 3 that feels like a true step up from the Quest 2. The added development time will allow Meta to finetune components like the uOLED displays, as well as potentially find ways to incorporate cost-effective versions of Cambria’s premium features.
We’ll likely have to wait a while longer before any official details are revealed but as soon as we hear about any Oculus Quest 3 developments or rumors we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
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