Ready for the Meta Quest 4? Considering how big of an upgrade the Quest 3 was when it launched in 2023, Meta’s next release could have amazing new features that end up making it one of the best VR headsets yet.
Meta is still probably a couple of years out from releasing the successor to the Quest 3, but with all the new competition, it’s worth considering what to expect. There haven’t been many rumors yet, but here’s what hope to see in the Meta Quest 4.
Meta released the original Quest in 2019 and quickly followed with the Quest 2 in 2020. While the Quest Pro arrived in 2022, the Quest 3 didn’t show up until last year.
If Meta launches another work-centric headset like the Quest Pro 2 before its next VR gaming headset launches, we expect the Quest 4 to arrive at Meta Connect in October 2025 or 2026.
There have, however, been rumors that Meta will launch a less expensive Quest 3 Lite or Quest 3S to replace the Quest 2 soon.
AI is taking the world by storm, and we expect the next version of the Quest to fully embrace this new technology. To put things in perspective, the Meta Quest 3 currently uses a fast Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor that boasts 2.5 times higher GPU performance and eight times better AI throughput than the Quest 2’s XR2 Gen 1 chip.
Meta is currently using artificial intelligence on the Quest 3 to enhance the color passthrough camera for mixed reality experiences, improved hand-tracking speed and accuracy, to understand voice commands, and more.
If Qualcomm updates is extended reality processor in time, the Quest 4 could get a next-gen Snapdragon XR2 chip. In theory, that could mean that the Meta Quest 4 could have more impressive AI capabilities that can help make virtual worlds look more real and improve interactions with non-playable characters (NPCs) in VR games.
A recent Meta blog post indicated AI breakthroughs will help create realistic avatars on the Quest platform. A Quest 4 with Meta Codec Avatars seems likely. Meta even posted a video on YouTube showing what to expect in the future. Those are good signs.
We’ve also seen how AI upscaling, like Nvidia’s DLSS, can improve graphics quality and frame rates on PC games. Meta’s Super Resolution feature is similar, but doesn’t help in some situations. As the platform’s AI capabilities increase, upscaling will unlock faster, better graphics in more Quest VR games.
There are already several ways to generate 3D graphics with AI, such as neural radiance fields (NeRFs), and Gaussian splatting, which use real-world photos and videos to digitally capture depth and imagery. Here’s an example shared on X by Luma Labs when it announced the Android version of its mobile app to create shareable gaussian splats.
Android users, it’s time to join the party – Luma is now available on @GooglePlay. Capture stunning 3D & create Magic Reveals for FREE with just your phone
➡️ https://t.co/PHOGhGyY7E#LumaAI #Android #PlayStore #GaussianSplatting pic.twitter.com/rgrE6n9fPm
— Luma AI (@LumaLabsAI) April 10, 2024
Generative AI can also paint fantastic 360-degree panoramas, as you can see in this X post from Moon VR Home.
🤩Mixed Reality Portal Now Available on Quest 3!#MixedReality #MetaQuest3 #VirtualReality #AI pic.twitter.com/qxhyPCsgJr
— Moon Portal (@MoonPortalVR) October 28, 2023
All that is to say that we expect the Quest 4 to emphasize AI in a big way on its next generation, especially given Meta’s investment in recent years.
The Meta Quest 3 already has the best mixed reality games and good color passthrough quality, but it could be better. Apple’s Vision Pro has higher resolution, less noise, and wider dynamic range.
I’d expect the Quest 4 to bring further improvements to the cameras, sensors, and performance needed to render a view that looks more like your actual surroundings. Realistic graphics are important, but long-term comfort and breathability are critical to everyday use, and these things are almost entirely absent in VR.
Meta’s Quest Pro is the only mass-produced VR headset to ship with an open periphery. That means you can see your room and floor out the sides and bottom while wearing the device. Despite being as heavy as the Apple Vision Pro, most people agree the Quest Pro is more comfortable and less isolating.
Another clever Meta decision moved the Quest Pro’s battery to the rear of the head strap to balance the weight of the front visor more evenly. Comfort and good weight distribution are particularly important for active games and fitness apps, which are of strong interest for Meta as the owner of popular workout app Supernatural.
It would be great if Meta reused aspects of the Quest Pro’s unique design for the Quest 4 and introduced mixed reality upgrades to make its next wearable just that — wearable and enjoyable for hours of gameplay, exploration, movies, or work.
The Meta Quest 3 has 30% higher resolution than the Quest 2, driven by its more powerful processor. Its pancake lenses make focusing comfortable for your eyes and provide good clarity from edge to edge.
While those are significant improvements over the Quest 2, VR headsets needs to be as sharp and clear as possible. Display technology keeps getting better and VR headsets like the Vision Pro are accelerating advances. It’s likely that the Quest 4 will have higher-resolution screens than the Quest 3.
The Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 supports 3K resolution per eye at 90Hz. Meta opted for a 2K display at 120Hz for the Quest 3. The Quest 4 with a faster chip could increase the display resolution without sacrificing frame rates, meaning that the Quest 4 could feature crisp 3K per eye resolution at 120Hz.
Google just dropped its latest AI model, Gemini 4 Carbon, designed to tackle complex coding jobs and cybersecurity threats. The company claims it can work through difficult engineering problems for days, finding hidden bugs and developing fixes across large codebases.
Gemini 4 Carbon also takes the top spot on Artificial Analysis' updated Intelligence Index, scoring 59 points, pushing out Claude Opus 5.5, OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra, and even its own predecessor Gemini 4 Argon.
Apple has just introduced a redesigned MacBook Pro with a few bells and whistles. The focus this time around is on a thinner and lighter build, and an upgrade to a touch-sensitive OLED screen without any ugly notch. And, in case you were wondering, there is definitely a price premium to pay for these niceties, which also include a glowing Apple logo at the back. What if you wanted to get the best that Apple has to offer? Well, the numbers are finally here.
For a mere $14,549, you can get yourself the fully kitted 16-inch MacBook Pro PROLED XDR with the beefiest laptop chip that Apple has to offer, and the best memory configuration in tow. For nearly $15,000, you treat yourself to the 16-inch version of the laptop with a nano-texture glass layer on the screen to reduce reflections and glare.
Apple has unveiled its first-ever touchscreen MacBook Pro. The company seems a bit confused about the naming, calling it the "MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display," which is tough to remember. If you look past that and review the full spec sheets, you might ask a genuine question: what are the differences between the touchscreen and non-touchscreen versions?
Given that Apple continues to sell both variants together, that's a genuine question. Luckily, you don't have to spend more time lining up the spec sheets side by side and hunting for differences hidden in the fine print. I took that bullet for you. Here's everything that's different between the PROLED XDR Display and the regular MacBook Pro.