Meta Quest 3 could get a lot slimmer than Quest 2
The rendering of a leaked prototype of the Meta Quest 3 shows how much slimmer the successor to the Quest 2 could become.
We anticipate the Meta Quest 3 hitting the market later this year. Exactly when remains a mystery. The official unveiling likely takes place at Meta Connect 2023 in the fall. We know nothing about the specifications from official sources.
Last October, YouTuber Brad Lynch leaked blueprints of a prototype that, according to his sources, is the design Meta has settled on for the Meta Quest 3. Lynch had leaked blueprints of the Meta Quest Pro months earlier, which turned out to be correct in retrospect. So, it's quite possible that Lynch is right again.
Two CAD drawings of the Meta Quest 3 that Brad Lynch leaked on his YouTube channel. | Image: SadlyitsBradley
Numerous sensors on the front suggest that Meta focused on color passthrough and mixed reality. However, sensors for gaze and face detection are not found.
Wearing Ski goggles instead of shoeboxes thanks to pancake lenses
The Meta Quest 3 could use the same high-quality pancake lenses as the Meta Quest Pro (review). This new type of lens allows reduction in the distance between the lenses and the display. The result is a significantly smaller case. VR devices like Pico 4 (review) and HTC Vive XR Elite (info) already rely on pancake lenses and thus achieve a much narrower form factor.
The size of many current and older VR goggle housings is partly due to the forced distance between the Fresnel lens and the screen. | Image: Meta
The Meta Quest Pro's pancake lenses are based on a custom design. Meta reportedly worked on the design for four years and set up completely new supply chains. It is therefore highly likely that the same lenses will also be used in the Meta Quest 3.
The Shrinking Meta Quest 3
3D artist and product designer Marcus Kane has produced high-quality renders of the presumed Quest 3 prototype based on Lynch's leaked blueprints. They show very nicely and with great detail what the headset could look like - if Meta has really committed to this design.
If you compare the renderings with pictures of the Quest 2, you can see how much smaller the case of the Quest 3 could be. This, in turn, should benefit the wearing comfort and the look of the VR headset.
Meta Quest 2 on the left, rendering of the leaked Quest 3 prototype on the right. | Image: Meta / Marcus Kane
Seen from the side, the profile of the Meta Quest 3 also looks significantly narrower.
Meta Quest 2 on the left, rendering of the leaked Quest 3 prototype on the right. | Image: Meta / Marcus Kane
You can find these and other renders of the Quest 3 prototype on Marcus Kane's Instagram profile. Brad Lynch has also shared several renders via Twitter.
More information about the device can be found in our article Meta Quest 3: All the facts and rumors.
My 3D modeler friend Marcus Kane made some nice renders again of the Stinson/Quest 3 CADs that I leaked late last yearhttps://t.co/CacMEOdgRY pic.twitter.com/xHjkeWvBCU
— Brad Lynch (@SadlyItsBradley) January 22, 2023
Also, check out this great video from YouTuber Tyriel Wood, who built the Quest 3 prototype as a real-world model. It gives you a good idea of the size and feel of Meta's rumored new VR headset.
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