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Meta Quest 3 is official, $499, and arriving this autumn

Plus, Quest 2 is getting a discount.

Following a swirl of reports earlier this year, Meta has made its latest consumer VR headset official; the Meta Quest 3 will launch this autumn, starting at a $499.99 USD price point.

Meta describes the Meta Quest 3 - which will be fully compatible with the existing Meta Quest 2 library - as the "first mainstream headset with high-res colour mixed reality", and promises "better displays and resolution", greater comfort, a 40 percent slimmer optic profile, and twice the graphics performance using "next-gen Qualcomm chipset".

Its mixed reality feature set includes "dual 4MP RGB colour cameras, a depth sensor for a more accurate representation of your play space, and 10x more pixels in Passthrough compared to Quest 2". Additionally, Meta has "completely redesigned" Quest 3's Touch Plus controllers, dropping the outer tracking rings and adding "TruTouch haptics".

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The $499.99 base version of Meta Quest 3 will feature 128GB of storage, and Meta says additional storage options will be available at launch. More in the way of specifics are set to be shared during Meta's Connect conference on 27th September.

With Meta Quest 3 now official, Meta Quest 2 is getting a price cut. The 128GB version will be reduced from $399.99 to $299.99, while the 256GB model drops to $349.99 from $429.99.

Meta Quest 3 features a 40 percent slimmer optic profile and redesigned controllers.

Ahead of all that, Meta will be sharing more details on its upcoming slate of VR games - including Quest 3's "AAA flagship adventure" - this evening, 1st June, during a 40-minute Meta Quest Gaming Showcase, which airs at 6pm in the UK/10am PT.