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Meta launches Quest 3 VR and AR headset, just ahead of Apple’s Vision Pro
- Meta Platforms has rolled out its Quest 3 headset and the second-generation smart glasses it developed with Ray-Ban
- Apple is poised to release its Vision Pro mixed-reality headset in the coming months, setting up a showdown with Meta
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Meta Platforms introduced its latest line-up of head-worn devices, staking fresh claim to the virtual- and augmented-reality industry just ahead of Apple pushing into the market.
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The company officially unveiled the Quest 3 headset on Wednesday, raising the price by US$200 to US$500, at its annual Connect developers conference. It also introduced second-generation smart glasses that it developed with luxury sunglass maker Ray-Ban.
The Quest 3, which was previewed by Meta earlier this year after Bloomberg published a hands-on review of the device, offers improved performance over the Quest 2 from 2020. It also marks a pivot from VR to mixed reality, which melds virtual and augmented reality.
It is a high-stakes moment for Meta’s hardware business. Though the company has dominated VR goggles for years, Apple is poised to release its Vision Pro headset in the coming months, setting up a showdown. Like the Quest 3, the Vision Pro is a mixed-reality headset – though one with exclusive Apple technology and content. The Vision Pro will have Apple’s marketing muscle behind it, but also a much higher price: US$3,499.
In addition to the competitive pressure, Meta also has struggled to sell consumers on the metaverse – a collection of interlocking online worlds that make use of its headsets.
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