Meta Quest 3 preorders now live — how to get yours

(Image credit: Meta)

Meta Quest 3 preorders are officially live. Announced at the Meta Connect keynote, the new VR headset houses a new Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset for twice the graphical performance of its predecessor. It also features a better display and thinner design.

While the Meta Quest 3 can play all the best Meta Quest 2 games, it features two RGB cameras and a depth projector on the front of the headset visor that allows users to experience VR and AR holographic overlays. The 128GB model sells for $499 ($100 more than its predecessor) and includes Asgard's Wrath 2, whereas the 512GB model costs $649 and includes a six-month Meta Quest Plus subscription in addition to the free VR game. Both models will ship on October 10.

Meta Quest 3 preorders — Quick links

Meta Quest 3 preorders

Meta Quest 3 Preorder Bundle (128GB): $499 @ Best Buy
Best Buy's Meta Quest 3 preorder is now live. The device is powered by a new Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset for twice the graphical performance of the Quest 2. It also features a better display and thinner design than its predecessor. The Quest 3 also adds two RGB cameras and a depth projector, which combine to create a true mixed reality device so you can experience VR and AR holographic overlays. If you purchase the 128GB model between now and January 27, 2024, you'll get the Asgard's Wrath 2 for free. The device ships October 10.

Meta Quest 3 — what's new

The Meta Quest 3 will likely replace the Meta Quest 2 as the best VR headset available. (Make sure to check out our early hands-on impressions to see how it holds up in our early testing). While it does cost $100 more than the Quest 2, it does come with a fair amount of upgrades.

Those upgrades include a 40% slimmer visor and a new Snapdragon chipset to power its virtual reality and mixed reality experiences. The Quest 3 also sports 8GB of RAM instead of the 6GB found on the Quest 2. The Meta Quest 3 also packs an upgraded display. Meta calls it the 4K+ Infinite Display, which is two LCDs using pancake optics to achieve 2,064 x 2,208 pixels per eye resolution. Meta says this enhances the Quest 3's resolution by nearly 30% compared to Meta Quest 2.

In terms of refresh rate, the Quest 3 features a native 90Hz refresh rate with a 120Hz experimental refresh rate. Battery life, unfortunately, is likely to remain the same. The Meta Quest 3 features the same battery life numbers as the Quest 2, which according to Meta is typically around 2.2 hours but can push 2.9 hours when just consuming media. The headset will charge back up to full from 0% in two hours with the included 18W charger, which is also about on par with the Quest 2.

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As deals editor-in-chief at Tom’s Guide, Louis is constantly looking for ways to avoid paying full price for the latest gadgets, appliances, and apparel. With over 10 years of deals-hunting experience, Louis price checks against multiple retailers and searches high and low for the best deals to bring readers. He's also always on the look out for the best coupon codes to use when shopping. A born-and-bred New Yorker, Louis is also an avid swimmer and marathoner. His work has appeared on Gizmodo, CNET, and Time Out New York.