Meta announces Quest 3 mixed-reality headset, AI chatbot at Connect 2023

Meta said Quest 3 headset would allow users to view their surroundings while seamlessly interacting with virtual objects in their physical space

At the Meta's Connect 2023 conference, which kicked off on September 27, its CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled an array of artificial intelligence-powered services and a Virtual Reality (VR) headset named the Meta Quest 3. Priced at $499.99 for the 128GB storage and $649.99 for the 512GB storage models in the US, the Meta Quest 3 VR headset is powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2. Meta promises double the GPU processing power in the Quest 3, compared to its predecessor.

Described as a 'mixed reality' headset, the Meta Quest 3 features two RGB cameras. Meta said the new headset delivers ten times the resolution of the Quest 2 and twice that of the Quest Pro in passthrough mode. With the headset, users will be able to view their surroundings while seamlessly interacting with virtual objects in their physical space.

Pre-orders for the Meta Quest 3 are now available in the US, and the device will be available for purchase from October 10.

Alongside, Meta introduced its AI-based chatbot Meta AI, which will be available on Meta apps including WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram. The company has announced plans to integrate it into the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses and the Quest 3 VR headset in the future.

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Meta AI is powered by a custom model, which is based on its Llama 2 language model – Meta's latest large language model.

To invoke the assistant, users need to type '@MetaAI /imagine' followed by a descriptive text prompt, said Meta. For example, you can ask it to create a specific sticker and it will generate a digital sticker matching the description within the chat conversation.

In collaboration with Ray-Ban, Meta announced the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. These smart glasses sport a 12MP camera capable of capturing images and videos, even allowing live streaming on Facebook and Instagram. Meta plans to integrate its Meta AI chatbot with these smart glasses to enable hands-free calls and music playback.

The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses will be available in two design options – Wayfarer and Headliner. They will be accessible in 15 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe with prices starting at $299.