Today, Meta officially announced the Meta Quest 3.

The headset was announced prior to this summer's Meta Quest Gaming Showcase, but Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg finally revealed it in full during his Meta Connect keynote.

And while Quest 3 may look similar to the Meta Quest 2, there is no doubt that this is a major overhaul. Pancake optics allow for a better display and thinner design, and the headset features a new Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset that delivers twice the graphics performance of the Quest 2. In addition, Quest 3 adds two RGB cameras and a depth projector, which combine to create a true mixed reality device. In other words, you are no longer limited to VR, but can add AR holographic overlays to experience the world around you.

Here are the main things to know about Meta's announcement today If you want more detailed information, be sure to check out our early hands-on impressions.

Meta Quest 3 is officially available for pre-order today and will ship on October 10. In the US, the Quest 3 will start at $499 for a model with 128GB of storage, $100 more than the Quest 2's $299. A higher capacity model with 512GB will also be available for $649.

Prices for several other regions are also known. In the UK, the 128GB model costs £479 and the larger 512GB model costs £619, while in Europe the 128GB model costs €549 and the 512GB model €699. In Australia, the 128GB base model is available for A$799 and the 512GB model for A$949.

Meta is running a promotion for early adopters. If you purchase the 128GB model between now and January 27, 2024, you will get the game "Asgard's Wrath 2" for free. Also, if you purchase the 512GB model, you will get the free VR game plus a 6-month Meta Quest Plus subscription.

The Quest 3 can be pre-ordered at Meta stores or select retailers in 23 countries. In the U.S., in addition to Meta's website, it can be pre-ordered at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. In the UK, in addition to the Meta Store, pre-orders can be placed at Amazon, Curry's, and Argos.

As mentioned, Quest 3 is not strictly a VR headset; it can play all of Meta Quest 2's best games, but it can also take in the world around it thanks to two RGB cameras and a depth projector on the front of the headset visor. Because of this move to mixed reality, Quest 3 will get more than 100 new and upgraded apps by the end of the year.

And Meta has made sure that the specifications of Quest 3 are appropriate for these new features. In addition to the new Qualcomm processor giving it a big boost, the display is now a two LCD display with a resolution of 2,064 x 2,208 pixels per eye; Meta calls this new display a 4K+ Infinite Display, and compared to Quest 2 30% improvement, so the difference should literally be visible to the naked eye.

Meta did not limit the overhaul to just the headset; Quest 3 comes with a new Touch Plus controller that eliminates the tracking ring of the Quest 2's Touch controller and includes TruTouch haptic feedback. This makes Quest 3 more comfortable to use. This should make Quest 3 feel more realistic and immersive.

But if you want to ditch the controller altogether, Meta says it's possible; Quest 3 features Direct Touch hand tracking, which should allow some games and apps to be played without a controller.

Overall, Quest 3 should be a major upgrade. The inclusion of mixed reality features, a noticeably slimmer design with improved fit, and improved performance should make it a strong contender for the best VR headset you can buy. [Lacks eye tracking and foveated rendering, and fails to improve on the Quest 2's battery life. Also, the $200 higher price tag may be too much of a leap for some. But if you can afford it, the Quest 3 looks to be the headset to get.