Meta recently announced the Quest 3, a mid-range VR headset that matches some features of the more expensive Quest Pro. If you want to explore VR for gaming, entertainment and work, there are several points to consider before making your decision.
The operating system and app library are pretty much the same. We need to look at price, performance, image quality, comfort, and special features to determine the best VR headset and the one that’s right for you.
While we don’t have all the answers about Meta Quest 3 yet, we do know enough to make an informed recommendation. In many ways, the Quest 3 is a high-performance Quest 2 with better optical components. Most other details are the same.
Comfort
Comfort is sometimes overlooked in VR as we tend to think of headsets as a technology, like a computer, tablet or game console. In truth, it is a wearable device, so comfort is a critical factor in usability.
It might come as a surprise that the Meta Quest 3 will be around 200 grams lighter than a Quest Pro. Despite this, the Quest Pro will be more comfortable for most people, as you can read in our Meta Quest Pro review. With the battery on the back of the headset, the weight is distributed more evenly instead of pushing on the cheeks, nose and forehead.
The VR face is a common effect when spending an hour or more wearing a Quest 2. A red ring in the shape of the headset remains for some time after removing the headset. It is more noticeable for some people than others, and accessory bands often help alleviate this problem.
Quest 3 has the same design with a full light shield and battery in the front. The slimmer profile should relieve some face pressure, but the VR face may still be visible.
Quest Pro’s design means the display hovers in front of your eyes without pressure on your nose or cheeks. The downside is that the weight, balanced as it is, rests on your forehead. It is a bony area that can bear more weight, but some users find it uncomfortable.
The Quest Pro’s more open facial interface helps when training in VR or playing intense games that might cause a Quest 3 to sweat and steam. Most consider the Quest Pro to be more comfortable overall.
Performance
Devices designated as a pro model are generally faster, but this isn’t always true when comparing different generations. Quest Pro launched in October 2022, while Metas Quest 3 will arrive a year later at Meta Connect 2023.
In technology, even a few months can bring about big changes. The Qualcomm processor powering the Quest Pro was a step up from the Quest 2, but the Quest 3 could be significantly faster than the Quest Pro.
Meta claims that the Quest 3 has twice the GPU performance of the Quest 2. The margin over the Quest Pro will be nearly as large. That said, game and app developers will be targeting Quest 2 compatibility for at least another year, possibly two.
The performance difference may not be noticeable for some time. When developers start targeting the Quest 3, the Quest Pro’s lower performance could lead to a more noticeable difference in graphics quality or frame rate.
Image quality
Meta gave the Quest Pro a big boost in clarity by using pancake optics instead of the older Fresnel lenses from the Quest 2. The Quest 3 will take advantage of that research and also use pancake lenses, which eliminate god ray artifacts and expand the sweet spot for better edge-to-edge clarity.
The Quest 3 will still have the highest resolution Metas display. Meta hasn’t quantified this claim with an exact number of pixels, but it will be sharper than the Quest Pro.
However, the Quest Pro features mini-LED backlighting for deeper blacks and higher dynamic range.
Special features
One of Quest Pro’s key features, a full-color mixed reality display that blends graphics with your physical environment, has garnered media attention. The Metas VR headset has provided a compelling glimpse into what will be possible with AR glasses of the future.
While it’s interesting for demonstrations, few games and apps provide a compelling reason to use mixed reality. It’s fun to play a virtual board game on your table, but sometimes the experience is better in VR where your friends have faces, even if they look cartoonish.
AR might be a feature that works better than glasses when you move around and seek computer assistance in daily life. When using a VR headset, the greatest value of mixed reality is seeing your surroundings well enough to walk around and interact with people who aren’t wearing a headset.
Whether or not you have a strong interest in mixed reality, the Quest 3 will outperform the Quest Pro in this area. Quest 3 also includes a depth sensor to automatically map your room while marking out a safe play area on the Quest Pro is a manual process.
The Quest Pro still has some unique features that the Quest 3 lacks. Eye and face tracking is only possible with the hardware built into the more expensive Meta headset.
Quest Pro comes with a convenient charging dock to recharge the battery the moment you put it aside. Plugging in a cable isn’t a big deal, and the dock is only significant because it charges the controllers simultaneously.
The Quest 3 uses AA batteries, so there may be times when your controllers die and you’re out of batteries. The Quest 3 controllers look similar to the Touch Pro or Quest Pro controllers but lack their precision tracking. Quest 3s cameras need to see controllers to track them, while Touch Pro controllers are self-trackers.
Price
There are pros and cons to both earphones, but the Quest 3 is a newer device with better image quality and superior performance for a lower price. For $500, it’s hard to go wrong with a Meta Quest 3.
That said, the Quest Pro wins in terms of comfort and ease of use. Pros might choose the Quest Pro for these reasons alone. Add eye and face tracking for VR chats and meetings, and you can see where the extra cost might be worth.
Meta Quest Pro currently sells for $1,000 with 256GB of storage. The Quest 3 costs $500 with 128GB of storage. Pricing for the 256GB model is unknown, but it will likely be $50 to $100 higher.
Which is right for you?
For most people, Quest 3 is an easy and automatic choice. If you want a low-cost VR headset for gaming, fitness, 360° movies, and general VR and mixed reality exploration, it’s an exciting new headset with a huge library and a long future ahead of it. Meta will continue to sell Quest 2, now at $300 for those on a budget.
The Quest Pro is great for people with sensitive skin who want to avoid irritation from pressure and steamy headphones. If you plan to go VR all day long and can’t wait an hour for the VR effects to wear off, the Metas premium headset largely solves this problem.
If you plan to use a VR headset for work and will be in and out frequently, the dock and rechargeable controllers keep the batteries charged and ready to go in an instant. For virtual meetings, Quest Pro can animate your avatar’s face and eyes for a more natural look and non-verbal communication.
Ultimately, if the Quest Pro costs too much, the Quest 3 will work just fine for most people. If you can afford it, take a moment to consider how you will be using the device before making a decision. There’s a reason Meta will sell both.
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