Meta Quest 3: These VR games are getting graphics upgrades

Meta Quest 3: These VR games are getting graphics upgrades

Meta Quest 3 is about to be released, and some studios are already busy planning optimizations for their VR games.

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On October 10, 2023, the time has come: Meta's new VR/AR headset Quest 3 will be released. The third generation of the Quest will be backwards compatible. This means that you will be able to use all the VR games in your library that you bought for the Quest, Quest 2 or Quest Pro with the Quest 3.

Several developer studios have already announced that they will be adapting their VR games to take advantage of the improved performance of Quest 3, and this article summarizes the most important announcements.

Drop Dead: Dual Strike and Drop Dead: The Cabin

The zombie shooter Drop Dead: The Cabin is getting a graphical upgrade and a mixed reality mode called “Home Invasion” for the Quest 3. Developer Soul Assembly also plans to rework its predecessor Drop Dead: Dual Strike, which was already released on the Quest 1, for Meta's current VR headset and showed the differences between Quest 1 and Quest 3 in a short clip.

Espire 2

Publisher Tripwire Interactive showed off a mixed reality version of Espire 2 back in July, which will be released on October 10. The update will also improve the VR version, which should greatly benefit the atmosphere of the stealth adventure.

According to developer studio LODE, the free update will include lighting and volumetric fog effects, a four- to eightfold increase in texture resolution, and a revamped “Espire Vision” view mode.

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Golf+

VR golfers can look forward to a much nicer Golf+ on the Quest 3. The update will bring richer turf, sharper textures, and improved lighting and shadow effects to the official VR game of the PGA Tour starting October 12.

Guardians Frontline

Fast Travel Games announces a free update for “VR Halo” Guardians Frontline, available with the launch of Quest 3. Improvements include environmental effects, reflections, shaders, real-time shadows, procedural vegetation and more.

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Hubris

Hubris is already a feast for the eyes on PC VR and PSVR 2. With the graphics update for Quest 3, the action adventure will also be much more beautiful on mobile VR headsets. The developers have announced double the resolution, a higher frame rate, higher resolution textures, improved lighting and anisotropic filtering.

Population: One

Population: One's improvements on the Quest 3 were showcased in a developer talk during Connect 2023 (see video).

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Meta's free-to-play battle royal shooter should benefit most on the Quest 3 from an improved frame rate (90 Hz) and a resolution jump from 1,440 × 1,584 to 2,064 × 2,208 pixels. The textures also look much sharper.

Red Matter 2

The “new” Red Matter 2 was already part of Meta Connect 2023 and served as a showcase title for the power of Quest 3 with its improved graphics. Meanwhile, developer studio Vertical Robot has announced extensive details about the Quest 3 update for Red Matter 2.

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The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

In addition to Red Matter 2, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (2) was also part of a graphics comparison between Quest 2 and Quest 3 at Meta Connect. The Quest 3 update with much more detail and improved graphics is scheduled for release this fall.

Vermillion

VR indie developer Thomas van den Berge has announced significant improvements to his painting app Vermillion, coming October 10. According to van den Berge, the canvas will get an “incredible boost in clarity and visual quality”. He gives a sneak peek in the following comparison video.

Virtual Desktop

The popular app for wirelessly streaming PC content to mobile VR headsets is getting a major update with numerous tweaks to get you up and running with Meta Quest 3 in time for its October 10 launch. Among other things, Virtual Desktop on Quest 3 will support AV1 codecs, which should result in smoother locomotion in VR.

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Zenith: The Last City

The update for Zenith: The Last City is also available for the launch of Quest 3. In a first comparison video, the VR MMO looks like a new game in parts. The world is much more alive and filled with more details than in the Quest 2 version.