Quest 3 Lite release date predictions, price, specs and expected upgrades

May 2024 · 8 minute read

Disclaimer: the image above is of the Quest 3, as at the time of writing, no visual media pertaining to the Quest 3 Lite has been released. 

The Quest 3 Lite is an allegedly upcoming, budget-friendly variant of Meta's celebrated Quest 3 mixed reality headset. As of now, we know very little about the device and even it's name isn't final. 

As the time of writing, Meta hasn't confirmed any plans to release such a device through any sort of announcement or teaser. That being said, numerous leaks and insider tips from reliable sources, such as Mark Gurman, suggest that the device is indeed coming.

Initially, rumors about a Quest 3 Lite first surfaced when reports came in about a partnership between Meta and Tencent. The ultimate goal of the coalition would be to create a budget-friendly, yet powerful headset, which could be released in China, where Meta's services are currently prohibited.
At the time, that report made total sense: ByteDance — major Tencent competitor, maker of TikTok and owner of Pico — had just started laying off Pico team staff. The company had decided to shift gears dramatically and target enterprise clients instead of consumers going forward.That, in turn, created a great opportunity for both Tencent and Meta: the first could have a solid VR headset, that could contend in the XR market, while the latter would return to having some presence in China. This is especially important given that the Vision Pro is also expected to launch in China later this year.

That being said, even months after all of this happened, we still don't know anything about the "Quest 3 Lite", which is a bit atypical of Meta. Zuckerberg's company historically likes teasing products way in advance, so this is somewhat new.


In contrast, however, recent behavior from Meta suggests that the Quest 2 is on a clearance sale. At the same time, even if the Quest 2 is performing admirably for it's age, there's no question about it: it is starting to become a bit outdated. Ultimately, Meta does need a different piece of hardware to replace the Quest 2 as an entry-level VR headset. As such, the Quest 3 Lite, in concept, makes for a tempting proposition not only for the company, but for the end user as well. 
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Quest 3 Lite release date

As of April of 2024, we don't have a confirmed release date for the Quest 3 Lite. 

Rumors suggest that the device will get both teased and released by the end of 2024. If that does turn out to be true, we can expect Meta to launch the Quest 3 Lite sometime around it's annual Connect event, as the case was with the Quest 3.

Historically, this is when Meta Connect events have taken place in recent times:

Date
Connect 2022October 11
Connect 2023September 27
Connect 2024*September-October, 2024
*Speculated date of future event.

Based on this info, it would be reasonable to conclude that the Quest 3 Lite, if real, could launch somewhere between September and October of 2024. 

Quest 3 Lite price

Given that Meta recently decreased the Quest 2's price, effectively announcing a clearance sale for it, it would be reasonable to expect that the Quest 3 Lite's price point would float somewhere around the price of the Quest 2.

The primary reason for this is because the Quest 3 is already acting as Meta's "flagship" product, so the company doesn't need another headset to compete with it. Instead, Meta needs an entry-level product that could welcome new users into it's ecosystem. 

Price:
Quest 3 launch price:$499
Quest 2 launch price:
$399
Quest 2 adjusted price:$299
Quest 2 price after final discount:$199
Quest 3 Lite possible launch price:$299*
*Price is speculative and not final.

Since the Quest 3 Lite would have a dual purpose: to replace and outperform the Quest 2, it would make sense for its price to be:

That being said, you should keep in mind that VR apps and games are getting more demanding in terms of storage requirements. As such, the price above will likely be for a base model, which for Meta means 128GB. 


Here's an overview of the different prices when it comes to storage configuration variants among Meta's products:
Quest 2 (128GB) on launch:$299
Quest 2 (256GB) on launch:$399
Quest 3 (128GB):$499
Quest 3 (512GB):$649
Quest 3 Lite (128GB):$299*
Quest 3 Lite (256GB):$399*
Quest 3 Lite (512GB):$449*
*Price is speculative and not final.

The speculative prices, which you can see above, are based solely on the price differences between storage configurations across different Meta headsets from the past. A key moment here is that the Quest 3 doesn't have a 256GB variant, but such a midrange offering does make sense for a more budged-friendly model. 

Quest 3 Lite design

Given the lack of a proper announcement or teaser, we basically know nothing about the Quest 3 Lite's design. If this does turn out to be the official name of the alleged headset, though, we can expect it to have a resemblance to the Quest 3.

Considering the Quest 3's front is already made out of plastic and that the three camera modules featured there are pretty essential for everything that a modern XR headset could need, we aren't sure what Meta could end up changing.

At the same time, the front of a VR headset is by far the most recognizable part of the build, so it does make sense for Meta to attempt to switch things up in that region. As such, a reasonable set of expectations regarding the Quest 3 Lite's design would be:

Naturally, all of this is and will remain speculation until Meta decides that it's time to give us more information on the allegedly coming headset. 

Specs of the Quest 3 Lite

While we don't know much about the Quest 3 Lite, we do know what purpose it would have in Meta's ecosystem. It would have to ease users in into XR, meaning that it must be more affordable, while still being powerful enough to tackle spatial computation and MR.

Based on that logic, we suspect that the Quest 3 Lite could end up having specs like these:

Display:LCD, Full HD+ or 2K
Resolution:1920×1080 or 2048×1080
Refresh rate:90Hz
FOV:110 horizontal and 96 vertical
IPD range:53-75 mm
Processor:Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
RAM:8GB
Storage variants:128GB and 256GB, possibly 512GB
Battery:2 hours of use
Wi-Fi:Wi-Fi 6E enabled
Backwards compatibility:Yes
PC VR:Yes
Eye-tracking:No
IOBT:Yes

*Quest 3 Lite specifications are fully speculative and based on rumors and leaks: this is not official information. 

Features and software of the Quest 3 Lite

The Quest 3 Lite needs to be "less capable" than the Quest 3 itself in order for it to fulfill its purpose. Mixed reality, however, is on the rise and it will likely play a larger role in our future to come. 

Not only that, but AI is becoming a central focus for all manner of tech, even when not put front and center. This means that even features that aren't subject to the user's direct control or observation might very well utilize AI in order to work. For example, some of the most impressive features on the Quest 3 utilize AI for that same goal. 


This could mean two things for the Quest 3 Lite:

That, if true, could mean the following for this allegedly upcoming headset:

If our speculation turns out to be correct, than what this would mean for users is that:

But that being said, most of this is highly speculative. Not only because the Quest 3 Lite isn't even announced yet, but because Meta's MR-based widgets, known as Augments, are still not released as of April of 2024 (the time of writing). 

Should you wait for the the Quest 3 Lite?

The Quest 3 Lite is rumored to be an upcoming budget-friendly variant of the Quest 3, said to become release by the end of 2024. 

You should wait for the Quest 3 Lite to release if: you aren't invested in VR yet and you don't already have a Quest 2 or Quest 3. Since the Quest 3 Lite, if real, will be notably more powerful than the Quest 2, it is a lot more reasonable for you to wait out it's release and get it when it's available, instead of getting a discounted Quest 2 right now. 

You should not wait for the Quest 3 Lite if: you already own the Quest 3, an Apple Vision Pro or another high-grade headset. Given that the Quest 3 Lite's primary goal will be to serve as an entry-level XR product, if you already own another powerful XR headset, getting a Lite-er product simply doesn't make sense for you.

We will keep updating this article as more information about the Quest 3 Lite becomes available.

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Stan, also known as Stako, is a smartphone enthusiast who loves exploring the limits of Android customization. His journey with mobile tech began with the Nokia 5110 and evolved with devices like the BlackBerry 9350 Curve and Samsung Galaxy A4. Despite his love for Android, he holds equal respect for Apple, considering the iPhone 4s as a significant milestone in mobile tech. Stan started his writing career early, contributing to MetalWorld, and harbors a passion for creative writing. Beyond smartphones, he's interested in photography, design, composition, and gaming, often preferring solo projects to hone his objective thinking. He's also an avid student of open-source technology and consoles, with a special fondness for the Pebble Watch, Arduboy, and Playdate.

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