Technologies

Meta Quest 3: What to Expect in 2023

Meta’s next headset should be a lot less expensive than Apple’s, and is arriving this year. Could it have an edge?

This has been a big year for new VR headsets: the PlayStation VR 2 and Vive XR Elite are already here, and Apple’s mixed reality headset should be announced in a matter of weeks. The biggest product of all of them, however, could be the Meta Quest 3.

Meta’s sequel to the most popular VR headset in the world right now will be a 2023 product, and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg has already confirmed it will be priced similarly to the Quest 2. That should mean it’ll be a far more affordable headset than what Apple is readying.

Meta Quest 2 $400 at Meta

Will it also be the best? Here’s what we expect.

The Quest Pro (left) next to the Quest 2 (right). The Quest 3 may be smaller in the front like the Pro, but with the Quest 2’s elastic head straps.

Scott Stein/CNET

Price: Somewhere around $400?

Meta’s work-focused Quest Pro headset that debuted last fall was a misfire, starting at $1,500 and now reduced to $1,000. Meta’s Quest 3 should fall in line with the $400 price of the Quest 2 headset (although that’s an increase from the Quest 2’s original price of $300). Although considering it will likely have better performance and features, it could end up being a little more expensive.

That price would be less than the PlayStation VR 2, which also needs a PlayStation 5 to work. And it would likely be thousands of dollars less than what the Apple headset is expected to cost, which many industry watchers are pinning at $3000.

Watch this: Meta Quest Pro Half a Year Later: Why I Wear It and Why You Should Wait for the Quest 3

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Features: Mixed reality, but maybe not eye tracking

The future of VR is already moving towards mixed reality, blending VR with real-world surroundings using passthrough cameras projecting real-time footage in-headset. The Quest Pro and Vive XR Elite already do it, and Apple’s headset is expected to do the same.

The Quest 3 should have color passthrough cameras, much like the Quest Pro, Vive XR Elite and Pico 4 do. The Quest 2 has only a basic monochrome passthrough camera. The Quest 3 could also have better depth sensing capabilities, either through improved on-headset sensors or computer vision algorithms. Meta’s selection of mixed reality apps is pretty bare right now, but a mainstream Quest 3 that also taps into the possibilities could spark a lot more apps and games.

VR/AR YouTuber Bradley Lynch detailed a bunch of Quest 3 features last year based on leaks from Meta, which details a lot of what to expect: a depth sensor is planned to be onboard.

Eye tracking may be left out. The Quest Pro has eye tracking and face tracking, which can be turned off in settings and isn’t used for all apps. The PlayStation VR 2 uses eye tracking frequently to optimize graphics performance, but it’s also tethered to the PS5, and doesn’t have to deal with battery drain concerns. The Quest 3 might skip the feature to save on cost, or perhaps because Meta isn’t ready to deal with the privacy ramifications yet.

A new processor is expected, though. The aging Snapdragon XR2 chip could get a true follow-up (reports say it’ll be a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2), improving graphics and speed for the new headset, and maybe battery performance as well. Qualcomm already has a multi-year partnership with Meta, unveiling new XR chips that will roll out to other devices in the future. This could be the debut of a new chip, much like the XR2 was for the Quest 2.

Storage sizes and RAM might be upgraded as well, according to Lynch’s report from last year, with a 512GB storage option finally becoming available.

The Pico 4 (left) is significantly smaller in the front than the Quest 2 (right), but the battery gets moved to the larger back strap. The Quest 3 should also be smaller, with the battery staying in the front.

Scott Stein/CNET

Slimmer design

Meta’s improved «pancake optics» lenses for the Quest Pro slimmed down the front of the VR headset versus the Quest 2, with a clearer lens to boot. The Pico 4 headset, another affordable Quest 2-range VR headset, added pancake optics last year. The Quest 3 should get this upgrade too, adding up to a much smaller headset size than the Quest 2.

Smaller could mean more portable. Will new cases and accessories emphasize this? Being able to take a Quest 3 on trips more easily would be a big advantage. HTC’s Vive XR Elite folds down into the size of a pair of (big) glasses, with an optional tube-shaped carry case.

The Quest Pro controller (right) is a big redesign over the Quest 2 controller (left).

Scott Stein/CNET

It could work with Meta’s new Quest Pro controllers

Meta updated its controllers with the Quest Pro, adding cameras for better tracking consistency and shrinking down the size. These controllers are currently an expensive upgrade for Quest 2 owners, they sell for $300 separately, but would Meta include them with the Quest 3? Or could they still be optional upgrades?

Another possibility could be another redesigned set of controllers. Meta doesn’t seem ready to get rid of controllers completely for the Quest, although that seems to be the long-term strategy as hand tracking continues to improve.

Lynch also showed leaked looks at the headset last year that suggested the Quest 3 might charge in the current Quest Pro dock.

Games should be a major focus, once again

Meta’s experiments in work and social apps – aka, the metaverse – haven’t taken off, which means gaming is still the biggest use for the Quest 2 (along with fitness). Meta’s upcoming games showcase on June 1 is emphasizing that the Quest 2 is, first and foremost, a game console.

With an expected fall debut, the Quest 3 will likely be positioned again as a game console with a lot of potential fitness, work and social benefits. It’s Meta’s safest bet, and with its expected console-level price, not an absurd proposition in a year where there aren’t expected to be any other new game console debuts to compete with.

Will Quest 3 spark a wave of mixed reality apps?

The Quest 3’s bigger mixed reality focus, and its lower price than the Quest Pro, should finally trigger a wave of new apps that aim to use mixed reality more often. It’s the Quest 3’s biggest new feature, and with Apple likely to show off mixed reality quite a bit as well, it might mean developers are finally going to think in a more AR-like mindset. It’s Meta’s biggest opportunity to try to advance the Quest experience beyond its VR-minded status.

If you’re looking to buy a headset, you should wait

At this point, the fall isn’t far away. The Quest 3 looks like it’ll be the best Meta VR headset, and could be one of the best options for its price when it arrives. Anyone looking for a headset right now should hold off and see what’s coming, especially with both this and Apple’s headset on the horizon.

iOS 17 Cheat Sheet: Your Questions on the iPhone Update Answered

Here’s what you need to know about new features and upcoming updates for your iPhone.

Apple’s iOS 17 was released in September, shortly after the company held its Wonderlust event, where the tech giant announced the new iPhone 15 lineup, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. We put together this cheat sheet to help you learn about and use the new features in iOS 17. It’ll also help you keep track of the subsequent iOS 17 updates.

iOS 17 updates

Using iOS 17

Getting started with iOS 17

Make sure to check back periodically for more iOS 17 tips and how to use new features as Apple releases more updates.

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

+15 More

See all photos

Technologies

Get Ready for a Striking Aurora That Could Also Disrupt Radio Communications

Don’t expect the storm to cause a lingering problem, though.

A geomagnetic storm is threatening radio communications Monday night, but that doesn’t mean you should be concerned. In fact, it may be an opportunity to see a colorful aurora in the night sky.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a geomagnetic storm watch after witnessing a coronal mass ejection from the sun on Saturday. The watch, which was issued over the weekend and will expire after Monday, said the onset of the storm passing over Earth on Sunday night represented a «moderate» threat to communications. As the storm continues to pass through, it could deliver a «strong» threat on Monday night that could cause radio communications to be temporarily disrupted during the worst of it.

Even so, NOAA said, «the general public should not be concerned.»

A coronal mass ejection occurs when magnetic field and plasma mass are violently expelled from the sun’s corona, or the outermost portion of the sun’s atmosphere. In the vast majority of cases, the ejection occurs with no real threat to Earth. However, in the event the ejection happens in the planet’s direction, a geomagnetic storm occurs, and the Earth’s magnetic field is temporarily affected.

In most cases, geomagnetic storms cause little to no disruption on Earth, with radio communications and satellites affected most often. In extreme cases, a geomagnetic storm can cause significant and potentially life-threatening power outages — a prospect that, luckily, the planet hasn’t faced.

Switching poles

Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic poles switch, with the north pole and south pole swapping positions. During those cycles, the sun’s activity ramps up as it gets closer to pole-switching time. The height of its activity is called solar maximum, and scientists believe we either may be entering the solar maximum or may be already in it.

During periods of heightened solar activity, sunspots increase on the sun and there’s an increase in coronal mass ejections, among other phenomena. According to NOAA, solar maximum could extend into October of this year before the sun’s activity calms and it works towards its less-active phase, solar minimum.

Even when geomagnetic storms hit Earth and disrupt communications, the effects are usually short-lived. Those most affected, including power grid operators and pilots and air traffic controllers communicating over long distances, have fail-safe technologies and backup communications to ensure operational continuity.

But geomagnetic storms aren’t only about radios. In most cases, they also present unique opportunities to see auroras in the night sky. When the storms hit, the plasma they carry creates a jaw-dropping aurora, illuminating the night sky with brilliant colors. Those auroras can be especially pronounced during the most intense phases of the storm, making for nice stargazing.

If you’re interested in seeing the aurora, you’ll need to be ready. The NOAA said the «brunt of the storm has passed» and even if it lingers into Tuesday, there won’t be much to see after Monday night.

Technologies

Last Total Solar Eclipse for 20 Years Is Coming: How to See and Photograph It

It’s your last chance until 2044.

Get your eclipse glasses ready, Skygazers: the Great American Eclipse is on its way. On April 8, there’ll be a total eclipse over North America, the last one until 2044.

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun and turning an otherwise sunny day to darkness for a short period of time. Depending on the angle at which you’re viewing the eclipse, you may see the sun completely shrouded by the moon (called totality) or some variation of it. The more off-angle you are and the further you are from the path of the eclipse, the less likely you’ll be to see the totality.

The 2024 total solar eclipse will happen on Monday, April 8. The Great American Eclipse will reach the Mexican Pacific coast at 11:07 a.m. PT (2:07 p.m. ET), and then traverse the US in a northeasterly direction from Texas to Maine, and on into easternmost Canada. If you want a good look at it, but don’t live in the path of totality, you shouldn’t wait much longer to book accommodation and travel to a spot on the path.

Or how about booking a seat in the sky? Delta Airlines made headlines for offering a flight that allows you to see the entire path of totality. Its first eclipse flight, from Austin, Texas, to Detroit sold out quickly. But as of Monday, Delta has added a second flight from Dallas to Detroit, which also covers the path of totality. The airline also has five flights that will offer prime eclipse viewing.

Not everyone can get on one of those elusive eclipse-viewing flights. Here’s a look at other options to nab a chance to see this rare sight and what to know about it.

Total solar eclipse path

The eclipse will cross over the Pacific coast of Mexico and head northeast over mainland Mexico. The eclipse will then make its way over San Antonio at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET on April 8 and move through Texas, over the southeastern part of Oklahoma and northern Arkansas by 2:50 p.m. ET.

By 3 p.m. ET, the eclipse will be over southern Illinois, and just 5 minutes later, will be traveling over Indianapolis. Folks in northwestern Ohio will be treated to the eclipse by 3:15 p.m. ET, and it will then travel over Lake Erie and Buffalo, New York, by 3:20 p.m. ET. Over the next 10 minutes, the eclipse will be seen over northern New York state, then over Vermont. By 3:35 p.m. ET, the eclipse will work its way into Canada and off the Eastern coast of North America.

Best places to watch the Great American Eclipse

When evaluating the best places to watch this year’s total eclipse, you’ll first want to determine where you’ll have the best angle to see the totality. The farther off-angle you are — in other words, the farther north or south of the eclipse’s path — the less of an impact you can expect.

Therefore, if you want to have the best chance of experiencing the eclipse, you’ll want to be in its path. As of this writing, most of the cities in the eclipse’s path have some hotel availability, but recent reports have suggested that rooms are booking up. And as more rooms are booked, prices are going up.

So if you want to be in the eclipse’s path, and need a hotel to do it, move fast. And Delta’s eclipse-viewing flight from Dallas to Detroit has just four seats left at the time of publication.

Eclipse eye safety and photography

As with any solar eclipse, it’s critical you keep eye safety in mind.

During the eclipse, and especially during the periods before and after totality, don’t look directly at the sun without special eye protection. Also, be sure not to look at the sun through a camera (including the camera on your phone), binoculars, a telescope or any other viewing device. This could cause serious eye injury. Sunglasses aren’t enough to protect your eyes from damage.

If you want to view the eclipse, you’ll instead need solar viewing glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard. Anything that doesn’t meet that standard or greater won’t be dark enough to protect your eyes. Want to get them for free? If you’ve got a Warby Parker eyeglasses store nearby, the company is giving away free, ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses at all of its stores from April 1 until the eclipse, while supplies last.

If you don’t have eclipse viewing glasses handy, you can instead use indirect methods for viewing the eclipse, like a pinhole projector.

Read more: A Photographer’s Adventure With the Eclipse

In the event you want to take pictures of the eclipse, attach a certified solar filter to your camera. Doing so will protect your eyes and allow you to take photos while you view the eclipse through your lens.

There’s also a new app to help you both protect your eyes and take better photos of the eclipse on your phone. Solar Snap, designed by a former Hubble Space Telescope astronomer, comes with a Solar Snap camera filter that attaches to the back of an iPhone or Android phone, along with solar eclipse glasses for protecting your eyesight during the event. After you attach the filter to your phone, you can use the free Solar Snap Eclipse app to zoom in on the eclipse, adjust exposure and other camera settings, and ultimately take better shots of the eclipse.

2024 eclipse compared to 2017

The last total solar eclipse occurred in 2017, and many Americans had a great view. Although there are plenty of similarities between the 2017 total solar eclipse and the one coming April 8, there are a handful of differences. Mainly, the 2024 eclipse is going to cover more land and last longer.

The 2017 eclipse started over the northwest US and moved southeast. Additionally, that eclipse’s path was up to 71 miles wide, compared with a maximum width of 122 miles for this year’s eclipse. Perhaps most importantly, the moon completely covered the sun for just 2 minutes, 40 seconds in 2017. This year, maximum totality will last for nearly four-and-a-half minutes.