Meta Quest 3’s YouTube app gets a major upgrade that should make the experience of watching videos in VR significantly better.
The Meta Quest 3 has received a major upgrade to YouTube, adding the ability to watch 8K videos. The update gives Meta Quest 3 owners the opportunity to make the most of their device’s capabilities and should be a significant improvement over 4K video on the same device.
The Meta Quest 3 has seen a series of improvements lately, as have its predecessors, the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro. Most recently, the Meta Quest headsets have gained the ability to be used while lying down. This feature makes it easier for users to enjoy more static content while lounging, and it should be a perfect feature to pair with YouTube’s new visual fidelity on the Meta Quest 3.
The official YouTube app for the Meta Quest 3 has been updated, adding support for 8K visuals in standard format, 180-degree, and 360-degree videos. This update is only available for the Meta Quest 3 at this time, and is unlikely to come to the other two supported VR headsets given that the Quest 3 has superior display resolution to both the Meta Quest 2 and Quest Pro. It’s also possible that the older chips used in the Quest 2 and Quest Pro may not be powerful enough to support this feature.
While watching standard YouTube videos on the Quest is a valid option, where the headset genuinely shines is watching immersive content in the form of 180 and 360-degree videos. This resolution improvement should help them to look much better. It’s worth noting that after updating the app, users may need to manually set the resolution to 8K. Videos with 8K quality available should list an option to switch to 4320p. The Quest 3 can support both 30 and 60-fps videos.
The Future of Meta Quest VR Headsets
Right now, nothing seems to be set in stone regarding the eventual successor to the Quest 3. Meta has been putting a lot of focus into AI development recently, and its investments in VR have led to significant losses for the company. It’s not clear if or when a Quest 4 will come out, though some rumors regarding a new version of the Quest 3 at a lower price have surfaced. In the meantime, the company has ended support for the original Meta Quest.
Those who are interested in VR but balk at the high price-point of the Quest 3 may be interested in trying the Quest 2, instead. The Meta Quest 2 has received price-cuts recently, bringing the cost down to $199. Although the Quest 2 is less powerful than the Quest 3, it’s still a significant upgrade from the original Oculus Quest, and also shares the ability to connect to a PC to play PC VR games.
Meta Quest 3
- Brand
- Meta
- Resolution (per eye)
- 2064×2208
- Display Type
- LCD
- Storage
- 128 GB, 512 GB
- Connectivity
- WiFi 6E, USB Type-C
- Battery Life
- 2-3 hours
- Tracking Technology
- Direct Touch hand tracking
- Audio
- Stereo speakers
- Weight
- 515 grams
- Refresh rate
- 90Hz, 120Hz (experimental)
- Processor
- Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
- RAM
- 8GB
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