With the Meta Quest 3, we have the answer.
And the truth is, Metas latest headset does have a whiff ofMetaverseabout it.
These facilitate my favourite new feature of the Quest 3 coloured passthrough.
This works fairly consistently with the Touch Plus controllers, but is slightly less reliable when using hand tracking.
While hugely improved, the passthrough image is still far from crystal clear.
Youd also struggle to read something on another screen unless its in a very large font.
Nonetheless, the new passthrough makes the entire VR experience both less fussy and less disorienting.
The first is Direct Touch, which is a kind of simulated haptic feedback for hand-tracking.
It doesnt have many applications in VR games yet, as most existing games rely on controllers.
The last major new feature is also the most likely to be contentious room scanning.
This has a couple of functions.
First, it makes setting up your safety boundaries much easier.
Its fairly accurate too.
But room-scanning isnt just a quality of life feature, its integral to the Quest 3s mixed reality aspirations.
It’s undeniably cool tech, but there are a couple of big caveats.
First, its success will depend heavily on the applications made for it.
The other big caveat is what data this means handing over to Meta.
Ultimately, these are all handy new features with substantial, if as-yet untapped potential.
But importantly, they come on top of an all-around upgrade of the Quests hardware and design.
These are quite stiff to adjust initially, and they also snagged my (short!)
hair, which is less than ideal.
Once fitted, however, the headset is fairly comfortable.
The main difference is that the absence of the ring leaves room for a proper thumb rest.
This is also touch-sensitive, letting the Quest 3 simulate a more nuanced squeezing action.
Importantly, the lack of a tracking ring doesnt noticeably affect the Quests ability to track your movements.
Fast reaction games likeBeat Saber,Pistol WhipandVader Immortals Jedi Dojo all feel wonderfully slick and responsive.
As for whats under the headsets faceplate, its upgrades all around.
Per-eye resolution, for instance, has increased from 1832x1920 to 2064x2208.
But Meta has also switched the Quest 2s Fresnel lenses for the pancake lenses used in the Quest Pro.
The Quest 3 comes with two storage options, the familiar 128GB option, and a much meatier 512GB.
Finally, like the Quest 2, the Quest 3 comes with a headphone jack and built-in stereo speakers.
All told, the Quest 3 does represent a significant step forward over the Quest 2.
Then again, it really, really should.
Which brings us to the big question: is it worth the price?
Id break it down like this.
If you already own a Quest 2, though, wait a little and see.
