There may be a cheaper Meta Quest 3, but trust me, it won’t be leaking

In recent days we’ve been treated to two separate Meta Quest 3 leaks – or rather, leaks for a new, cheaper Quest 3 called the Meta Quest 3s or Meta Quest 3 Lite, depending on who you believe.

But while the phrase “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” can often ring true in the world of tech leaks, I’m finding it very difficult to buy what I’ve seen of the two designs so far.

In chronological order; the first to come out was a Meta Quest 3 Lite render shared by @ZGFTECH on Twitter.

It looks an awful lot like an Oculus Quest 2 with its slightly bulkier design – perhaps because it seems to use the 2’s Fresnel lens system instead of a slimmer pancake lens system like the Quest 3 – but with more rounded edges to match its namesake.

Interestingly, it also lacks any form of RGB cameras or a depth sensor – which is a huge red flag for me. Mixed reality is currently the main focus for XR hardware and software, so of all the downgrades to be made for the Lite, the removal of full-color MR passthrough seems the most absurd. It’s much more likely that Meta will give the Quest 3 Lite a worse screen or chipset.

@ZGFTECH later clarified that they’re not saying the Quest 3 Lite won’t have RGB cameras, just that their renders rule them out because they can’t reveal more “at this time.” So while, as I said before, I expect mixed reality to be a major feature of Quest 3 Lite, I’m more than a little surprised that this detail is shrouded in mystery.

Then there’s the Meta Quest 3s leak. The original Reddit post has since been deleted, but copies like this one Twitter message stay online.

Like the leaked Meta Quest 3 Lite design, this bulkier headset suggests a return to Fresnel lenses. Although, unlike the previous model, we see some possible RGB cameras and sensors on the front panel. Plus, we also get some more details on the specs – especially that the cheaper Quest 3 could feature dual 1,832 x 1,920 pixel displays.

But while the design seems a little more likely (although a little too ugly), the leak itself is causing my BS detectors. The first problem is that the images shared contain elements of a Zoom call that can make it quite easy to determine who the leaker is. To see these early drafts, the leaker would likely have to sign a non-disclosure agreement that would come with a financial penalty for sharing the information, and unless they had no concern for their financial well-being whatsoever, I would have expected them to be much more cautious with what they do/don’t share, or face the wrath of Meta’s well-funded legal team.

Plus, some of the promotional tools seem a bit off. Some of them feature the original Quest 3 instead of the new design, some images don’t seem super relevant to a VR gadget, plus ports and buttons seem to change positions and parts change color on different views.

That’s why I’m more than a little convinced this is a real leak.

I guess the follow-up question from my skepticism about these leaks is: is there even a cheaper Meta Quest 3 on the way?

Inherently the idea is not absurd. The Quest 3 may be cheaper than many other VR headsets, but at $499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.99 it’s more expensive than the Quest at launch – $299 / £299 / AU$479 – and the affordable price is the main reason why the Quest 2 sold phenomenally well.

I’ve previously estimated that the Quest 3 is selling slightly slower than its predecessor at the same point in its lifespan, so Meta may want to improve its numbers by releasing a cheaper model.

While these leaks contain details that make me more than a little skeptical, the fact that we’ve had two leaks in such a short time makes me feel like there is some validity to the rumors.

So while we can’t say for sure yet that it’s coming, I wouldn’t be surprised if Meta announces a Quest 3 Lite or S. I’m just not convinced it will look like any of these leaked designs.

For me, the focus would be on having a sleek mixed reality machine – which requires full-color passthrough and pancake instead of Fresnel lenses (which we’ve seen on affordable XR hardware like the Pico 4).

The cost savings would then come from lower resolution displays, less storage space (from 64 GB) and a worse chipset or less RAM than we see in the Quest 3.

We’ll have to wait and see if Meta officially announces anything. I expect we won’t hear anything until the 2024 Meta Quest Gaming Showcase – which will take place around June – or this year’s Meta Connect event – which usually takes place around September or October.

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