a senior tech and policy editor focused on VR, online platforms, and free expression. Adi has covered video games, biohacking, and more for The Verge since 2011.I can’t tell if Meta is trying too hard to make me look at the world through a screen strapped to my face or if it’s not trying hard enough.
The Quest 3 has also slimmed down the Quest 2’s controllers. Where the Quest 2 places a big LED tracking ring over the user’s knuckles, the Quest 3 removes it and compensates with improved tracking algorithms. Its controllers look like those on last year’s Quest Pro but without the built-in cameras, which cuts down dramatically on their power consumption and might remove the brief wake-up delay the Pro controller cameras suffered from.
The default strap has a Y-shaped split for ponytails — although many people might get the separate Elite Strap.These changes seemingly add up to an iterative update, except that Meta also has one more new feature: mixed reality. The Quest 3 features two color cameras similar to the Quest Pro, offering the kind of passthrough feed that was a major selling point for that headset.