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Meta has ramped up the race for our faces as it revealed the next generation of its wearable immersive tech products.
The headline announcement: a successor in the Meta Quest series, the Meta Quest 3, and a follow-up to its Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses.
Facebook’s parent company claims the Quest 3 is 40% slimmer than its predecessor and boasts better graphics hardware.
But the main focus this year is on “mixed reality” – an experience that marries up the virtual and real-life surroundings.
I was invited by Meta to try out the new model ahead of release to see whether it manages to keep pace with its numerous rivals in an increasingly competitive market.
A new headstrap made the device feel slightly lighter than the previous model, and I didn’t experience the Quest 2’s interminable issue of fogging – when the lenses would steam up from my breathing – causing me to either repeatedly wipe the display, or hold my breath for uncomfortable periods of time.
The Quest 3 immediately began scanning the room’s walls, floors and objects automatically, a task you previously had to arduously perform manually.
New features and alien games
Once the machine had a good idea of where everything was in the room, Meta demonstrated various apps and games to showcase the mixed reality element.
One game saw aliens crash through your ceiling, blurring the line between reality and game.
Another immersed you in a virtual, abandoned space station, entirely leaving behind the artificial living room Meta had constructed for us.
As someone who doesn’t spend much time in the metaverse, it took some getting used to, and after taking it off and returning to reality, I did feel a bit like a drunk sailor on the high seas.
The developers have cannibalised much of the tech found in their premium Pro model which retails for £1,499.99.
The Quest 3 starts at…
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