Meta Connect 2023 was all about Quest 3 today. The company announced it’s shipping the mixed reality standalone October 10th, starting at $500 for the 128GB version. If you’re wondering whether it’s worth an upgrade, here’s a side-by-side breakdown between the company’s other consumer-focused headset, Quest 2.

Note: Make sure to check out our detailed hands-on with Quest 3, diving into everything from comfort to clarity.

Released in 2020, Quest 2 packs in a fair bit of tech that should keep it relevant for the next few years of VR gaming yet to come. It’s also a lot cheaper, starting at $300 for the 128GB variant. It’s all about standalone VR gaming, which is something that’s about to change with the introduction of Quest 3, the company’s first consumer mixed reality headset.

Quest 2 next to Quest 3 | Image courtesy Meta

There are more than a few new additions to Quest 3, namely its slimmer and better-balanced design, faster second-gen Snapdragon XR2 chipset, and full-color mixed reality passthrough function—all of which ought to raise an eyebrow or two as you can not only game with better clarity and comfort, but also dip your toes into the slowly filling pool of mixed reality games.

Yeah, there hasn’t been much in that department, but it’s the most capable standalone headset in its class—for now. Check out the specs below to see just how three years of intergenerational hardware updates chalks up:

Quest 3 vs. Quest 2 Specs

Quest 3
Quest 2

Resolution
2,064 × 2,208 (4.5MP) per-eye, LCD (2x)
1,832 × 1,920 (3.5MP) per-eye, LCD (1x)

Refresh Rate
90Hz, 120Hz (experimental)
60Hz, 72Hz, 80Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz

Optics
Pancake non-Fresnel
Single element Fresnel

Field-of-view (claimed)
110ºH × 96ºV
96ºH × 96ºV

Optical Adjustments
Continuous IPD, stepped eye-relief (built in)
Stepped IPD, stepped eye-relief (via included spacer)

IPD Adjustment Range
53–75mm
58mm, 63mm, 68mm

Processor
Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
Snapdragon XR2

RAM
8GB
6GB

Storage
128GB, 512GB
64GB, 128GB, 256GB

Connectors
USB-C, contact pads for optional dock charging
USB-C

Weight
515g
503g

Battery Life
1.5-3 hours
2–3 hours

Headset Tracking
Inside-out (no external beacons)
Inside-out (no external beacons)

Controller Tracking
Headset-tracked (headset line-of-sight needed)
Headset-tracked (headset line-of-sight needed)

Expression Tracking
none
none

On-board cameras
6x external (18ppd RGB sensors 2x)
4x external

Input
Touch Plus (AA battery 1x), hand-tracking, voice
Touch v3 (AA battery 1x), hand-tracking, voice

Audio
In-headstrap speakers, 3.5mm aux output
In-headstrap speakers, 3.5mm aux output

Microphone
Yes
Yes

Pass-through view
Yes (color)
Yes (B&W)

MSRP
$500 (128GB), $650 (512GB)
$300 (128GB), $350 (256GB)

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Connect 2023 kicks off today, taking place September 27th and 28th at Meta’s Menlo Park headquarters. There’s been a ton of news already, so make sure to follow along by heading to our main page for all of the latest in Meta’s XR stuff.