Mark Zuckerberg shows off $499 Quest 3 just four days before Apple is expected to announce a rival headset costing around $3,000

• Mark Zuckerberg announced that the Meta Quest 3 is coming this fall, and will start at $499.
• The announcement comes four days before Apple is expected to announce its mixed-reality headset.

It's official — Mark Zuckerberg just announced Meta's latest headset, the Quest 3, is coming this fall with a price tag starting at $499.

The reveal, posted to Zuckerberg's Facebook and Instagram pages on Thursday, comes four days before Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, where the iPhone company is expected to announce its first mixed-reality headset with a far steeper price tag of around $3,000.

Zuckerberg said the Quest 3 is "the first mainstream headset with high-res color mixed reality," and is 40% thinner than previous headsets. The Quest 3's promotional video also says it has natural depth perception and redesigned controllers with haptics, or specially designed feedback vibrations, so users can get a physical response to their experiences while using the headset.

The Quest 3 will be compatible with the Quest 2's library of programs, Zuckerberg said, adding that more details about the headset will come at Meta's Connect conference in September.

Meanwhile, Apple's rumored mixed-reality headset is expected to be unveiled next week after delayed releases in 2019 and 2022. Apple has been working on its mixed-reality headset for seven years, according to Bloomberg. Some employees working closely with the development of the headset are reportedly concerned about different aspects of the headset, including its price, its usefulness, and if it will be comfortable enough to catch on in a meaningful way.

Insider will be covering Apple's WWDC event on June 5, which kicks off at 1 p.m. ET, so check back here Monday afternoon for any news on the big headset reveal.