Zuckerberg unveils Quest 3 as Meta tries to stay ahead in the mixed reality headset game

Meta is moving forward in its efforts to dominate the AR world with the new and improved Meta Quest 3.

Unveiled by CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the company's virtual Meta Connect event Wednesday, the headset starts at $500 and is a complete redesign of earlier models. The Quest 3, first announced in June, offers improved performance, immersive new mixed-reality features and a sleeker, more comfortable design.

With a much stronger processor, higher-resolution display, revamped Touch Plus controllers and a 40% slimmer physique, the Quest 3 is a big step up from its predecessors. The Meta Quest 2 allows for strictly virtual reality, while the Meta Quest Pro has advanced passthrough cameras for seeing your actual surroundings, but it costs a whopping $1,000.

Most importantly, the Quest 3 has support for Meta Reality, allowing users to enjoy mixed-reality experiences that blend the real world with the virtual one - for example, you can play a virtual piano on your real-life coffee table.

"If you pick up a digital ball and throw it at the physical wall, it'll bounce off it," Zuckerberg said at Meta Connect Wednesday. "If someone's shooting at you and you want to duck the fire, you just get behind your physical couch."

The Meta Quest virtual library is fully accessible with the Quest 3 - a library that now features VR-friendly Roblox, released Wednesday, and is set to add X Box cloud gaming in December, giving gamers the chance to play titles like Halo and Minecraft on a large screen anywhere.

The headset is available for preorder now and officially hit stores on Oct. 10, available in two storage options (128GB and 512GB).