Meta Quest 4: News and Expected Price, Release Date, Specs; and More Rumors

Official channels have remained silent, but Meta’s next VR headset is still expected by 2026, possibly in more than one flavor

Rob Rich

Updated on October 21, 2024

In This Article

Release Date Estimate
Price Rumors
Pre-Order Information
Features
Specs and Hardware
Latest News

The Meta Quest 4 mixed-reality headset is rumored to be on the horizon, ready to replace Meta Quest 3 for anyone looking to upgrade—presumably with a few hardware upgrades. Meta itself hasn’t confirmed the new model yet, but there are reports that its plans could include two different versions.

When Will the Meta Quest 4 Be Released?

Much like the Meta Quest Pro 2, we’ve yet to see any official rumblings about a proper release date for the Meta Quest 4. Most estimates place the expected launch sometime in either 2025 or 2026 to coincide with that year’s Meta Connect event.

A report from The Information indicates that a 2026 release is the most likely of the two vague dates. However, there’s a bit of a catch: It’s also expecting two versions of the Meta Quest 4 (a standard model and some sort of premium version) to hit the market.

Lifewire’s Release Date Estimate

While many would likely prefer an earlier 2025 launch, and one could still happen for all we know, Lifewire estimates that we’ll be waiting until 2026. Primarily because there’s been no official word from Meta yet despite the rapid approach of the end of 2024.

Meta Quest 4 Price Rumors

Pricing is just as difficult to pin down as a release date, but it’s not unreasonable to assume that Meta will want to keep the price of the Quest 4 someone close to the $499.99 MSRP of the Meta Quest 3, especially if the rumor of there being plans for a standard and premium release is true.

In such a situation, we can probably assume that the plan is to keep the standard version around $500 like the Quest 3, while the premium model will more likely be $50 to $100 more. One could also speculate that the rumored cancellation of the Quest Pro 2 (Meta CTO, Andrew Bosworth, may have addressed in a Threads post) ties in with this premium version.

Maybe the two-model rumor means there will be a larger gulf between Quest 4 models, with the premium edition stretching out into what might have been Quest Pro 2 technologies? We won’t know unless and until Meta lets the world know what’s happening.

Pre-Order Information

Since Meta hasn’t announced anything about Meta Quest 4, we also don’t have any details about possible pre-orders for the time being. Much like other Meta Quest headsets that have seen release, there’s a very good chance that pre-orders will eventually open up through the official website. It could go live around the same time as an official announcement (assuming Meta makes one, of course).

Meta Quest 4 Features

Features for Meta Quest 4 are almost certainly going to be similar to (yet hopefully a little better than) Meta Quest 3. It’s unlikely that Meta would prevent users from accessing its existing software library, so expect to be able to use hundreds of apps and games out of the box. Meta Quest 3 has backward compatibility as well, and the same will hopefully hold true for Quest 4. Additionally:

PC support, likely using the same or similar Meta Quest Link Cable and Air Link setup as Quest 3.
Mixed-reality passthrough that lets you view 3D virtual objects in a real-world space.
Haptic feedback for the (presumably) included controllers.
Hand tracking that can read gestures as a method of interaction and navigation.
Wi-Fi support.
In-unit data encryption and password protection for multiple user profiles.
More than two hours worth of battery life while playing games or viewing media. Perhaps this rumored premium model will see an increase in battery life as well?

Meta Quest 4 Specs and Hardware

Planned features for Meta Quest 4 (either potential model) are also speculation at this point, but we can probably assume the standard model will be slightly improved over Quest 3.

We’ll probably have a choice between 128GB and 512GB versions, with the larger storage option carrying an increased price (maybe $649.99 like the 512 GB Quest 3?). Spatial audio from built-in stereo speakers also seems like a safe bet. On top of that, we may be able to expect:

At least 8 GB of DRAM, though an increase between the Quest 2 and Quest 3 suggests the Quest 4 could go even higher. Presumably, there'll be more than 8 GB in the premium model, assuming the reports of one being in the works are true.
Full-color mixed reality cameras with a comparable 18 pixels per degree (PPD), similar to the Quest 3. Again, with the potential for even higher PPD in the rumored premium model.
Continued use of the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor currently housed in the Quest 3 seems likely. However, there’s also the potential for a new Qualcomm Snapdragon chip on the way by the time a release comes around. Maybe.
Continued refresh rate support for 72 Hz, 80 Hz, 90 Hz, and 120 Hz is also likely.
Eye tracking is not a feature of Meta Quest 3, but perhaps it could be integrated with the supposed premium version of Quest 4.
Running on Meta Horizon OS.