Meta Connect 2023 will almost certainly serve as the official launch of the Meta Quest 3. While technically not official — yet — Meta has said that the Quest 3 will be in attendance at this year’s event. And once it’s announced, Meta’s mixed reality headset should immediately be a contender for the best VR headset available.
Want to tune in and watch Meta announce its successor to the Meta Quest 2? We’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the Meta Quest 3 launch at Meta Connect, and see the video player below.
Update: The Meta Connect Keynote is now starting at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT/6:30 p.m. BST/3:30 a.m. AEST (Sept. 28)
How to watch Meta Connect 2023
The Meta Quest 3, and possible new Meta smart glasses, will likely be announced during Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote address at Meta Connect on September 27. To watch the event, head over to Meta’s Facebook page. The keynote starts at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT/6:30 p.m. BST/3:30 a.m. AEST (Sept. 28).
And if you want to keep watching after the big event, Meta also airs its Developer State of the Union for those who are VR-obsessed. To watch the Developer State of the Union, head over to the Meta for Developers Facebook page at 2:45 p.m. ET/11:45 a.m. PT/7:45 p.m. BST/4:45 a.m. AEST (Sept. 28). This page will also showcase developer sessions, feature launches and more.
What to expect at Meta Connect 2023
The big announcement at Meta Connect should be the Meta Quest 3. This headset is the direct successor to the Meta Quest 2 and a bit of a spiritual successor to the Meta Quest Pro.
Thankfully, the price tag for Meta’s new headset is closer to the Quest 2 — with pricing starting at $499/£479.99/€549.99/AU$799 for the 128 GB model. A model with larger storage space is tipped to cost $649 in the U.S. and possibly feature 512GB of storage.
Price: $499 (128GB) [Confirmed], $649 (512GB)
Expected launch date: September 27
Expected release date: October 10
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 (Gen 2)
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB [Confirmed], 512GB
Display: LCD with 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye
Full-color passthrough: 4MP 18 PPD
Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Weight: 509 grams
Battery life: up to 3 hours
Backwards compatible: Yes [Confirmed]
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
While this is pricier than the Quest 2, it’s expected to come with some serious upgrades. Between official announcements from Meta and leaks about the headset, we know that it will be a mixed reality headset like the Quest Pro, allowing for full-color passthrough for augmented reality experiences in addition to traditional virtual reality.
In terms of what’s under the hood, the Quest 3 is tipped to come with a next-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 (Gen 2) chipset, which Meta says will provide twice the graphics performance of the Quest 2 powered by the XR2 Gen 1. It also should get a boost in RAM, though reports are conflicting as to whether the Quest 3 will come with 8GB or 12GB of RAM.
Meta is also promising that the Quest 3 will get a serious display upgrade. Meta says that the Quest 3 will feature a “nearly 30% leap in resolution from Quest 2.” This should give the headset’s LCD display a resolution of 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye, hopefully with a 120Hz refresh rate.
We will know more for sure once Meta Connect officially kicks off with Zuckerberg’s keynote, so make sure to watch and follow along with all our latest Meta Quest 3 coverage. We also may see a new pair of Meta smart glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban, so if you’re looking for something a bit more subtle than a VR headset, keep an eye out for that potential announcement.
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