Meta Quest 3 240Hz Support Puts Pressure on Steam Frame

Meta Quest 3 Gains Extended Refresh Rates Up to 240Hz Ahead of Steam Frame Launch.

Meta Quest 3 got an update that lets you get refresh rates higher than 120Hz. It now supports up to 240Hz through an extra display mode. Because the Quest 3S has different display hardware, it doesn't have this feature. Only the Quest 3 does. 

Meta has added support for higher frame rates for the Quest 3 in Horizon OS version 2.7. The headset can now handle screen refresh rates higher than 120Hz; in extended mode, it can reach up to 240Hz. This feature can only be used on the Quest 3, not the Quest 3S.

Meta Quest 3 Adds Refresh Rates Up to 240Hz

Using the standard APIs, Quest 3's display hardware can handle any integer refresh rate between 72 Hz and 207 Hz. There is no need for any extra settings. Meta's literature says that 207Hz is the fastest refresh rate at which the system can send a full frame of data to the screen at full resolution. The 240 Hz mode works through an extended display mode, while 207 Hz is available through the standard Horizon OS implementation.

That gives the Quest 3 a refresh-rate range that extends considerably beyond what was previously exposed to users. The timing is interesting because the Steam Frame is expected to arrive with support for a 144hz refresh rate. The Valve Index also supports refresh rates up to 144 Hz, while the Somnium VR1 reaches 144 Hz.

Apple Vision Pro supports up to 120Hz, PSVR2 reaches 120Hz, and Pimax Crystal Light supports 120Hz. That leaves the Quest 3 with a much higher advertised ceiling than these headsets. The question now is whether Valve could push the Steam Frame beyond its expected 144 Hz target.

We can also look at how useful such a high refresh rate would actually be. A standalone VR game would need to render consistently at those frame rates to take full advantage of the display. Reaching 207 fps or 240 fps while maintaining high visual quality would be demanding, particularly in more graphically intensive games.

The 240Hz Mode Has Limitations

Reports already suggest that the extended refresh-rate modes aren't completely stable. Some testing has revealed display issues at certain refresh rates, including flickering, static, and other visual artifacts. One tester reported that the Quest 3 became unstable around 165 Hz, with half the screen turning into static at 207 Hz.

Another reported passthrough flickering and compensation breaking at 140Hz and 144Hz. The 240hz mode also uses display stream compression. That can reduce image quality, resulting in washed-out colors and blockier dark scenes. So while the display can technically run at 240hz, the mode doesn't necessarily provide the same experience as a lower refresh rate with an uncompressed image.

The underlying capability also appears to have existed in the Quest 3 hardware for some time. Earlier testing reportedly achieved a 180 Hz mode when variable refresh rate support was implemented in QGO, making the newly exposed refresh rates more a matter of software and firmware development than a completely new hardware capability.

Quest 3's expanded refresh-rate support changes the comparison with the upcoming Steam Frame.

A 144Hz headset can already deliver a high-refresh VR experience, but the Quest 3 now has a higher ceiling on paper. There may be increased interest in making the Steam Frame's screen go faster than 144Hz if its hardware lets it.

Instead of trying to achieve a higher refresh rate, Valve could focus on other factors, such as image quality, rendering speed, latency, or overall system performance. For people considering a Quest 3, the new mode offers another option to try. However, 240 Hz shouldn't be considered the best setting just because it's stable and offers good image quality.

The bigger point is that a headset already released years ago has display hardware capable of operating at refresh rates far beyond what was originally exposed to users. That could make the next generation of VR hardware more interesting, especially if manufacturers start treating high refresh rates as a bigger part of their product strategy.