With the Meta Quest 3 coming out this week, there are plans to give fans a cheaper way to enjoy the VR experience, at a cost. There will be a ‘lite’ version of the VR system, which will come with no controllers, so players who want them will have to buy them separately.
According to Bloomberg, this version of the VR experience will be advertised as an ‘entry-level’ VR device with no controllers or accessories. Players will either have to use their arms for motion controls or buy controllers separately, which is an interesting decision.
Normally, releasing a ‘lite’ version of your system makes sense, but launching a version of Meta Quest 3 without controllers is being seen as questionable. Granted, most players will be able to get through menus and games with just hand gestures, but it might make for an uncomfortable experience.
Competing with the upcoming Apple Vision Pro, it seems that Meta is trying to make up for its lack of recent popularity by being a cheaper alternative. Apple’s Vision Pro will be a whopping $3,500 at release, whereas the Quest 3 is a much cheaper $500 for 128GB, with a $650 model also available with 515GB. Then again, these VR devices are still pricey, so it's a niche alternative being marketed towards a niche product.
Interestingly, the Vision Pro is also launching without controllers and is a bit pricier than Meta’s product. However, Apple is promising that the hand gestures will be one-to-one, which would be a big deal for tech-savvy customers.
No matter how you look at it, Meta is finding a way to survive whatever Apple will be throwing at them with the Vision Pro. Fans actually noticed that the Meta Quest 3 got a price reduction in certain parts of the world, showing the need for good sales numbers.
Read More: Xbox Cloud Gaming coming to Meta Quest 3 in December
Meta Quest 3 is coming out on October 10, likely with the option to buy the product without controllers.