Apple Vision Pro vs. Meta Quest 3: How much does $3,500 really get you?

You whitethorn beryllium thinking, "Why do an Apple Vision Pro vs. Meta Quest 3 comparison? The Vision Pro is evidently better."

I'd work together that nan Vision Pro, priced astatine astir $4,000, has nan amended hardware. It's sewage zippier processors, acold much cameras and sensors, supports oculus tracking, and more. At nan aforesaid time, however, some nan Vision Pro and Quest 3 stock galore of nan aforesaid features.

So nan mobility is, does nan Meta headset present amended worth contempt lacking immoderate perks? Let's find out.

Apple Vision Pro vs. Meta Quest 3: Price

The Meta Quest 3, of course, is nan cheapest of nan two.

It has a starting value of $499.99 and comes pinch 128GB of storage. If you request much space, you tin snag nan 512GB version for an other $150.

In my individual experience, 128GB is much than enough. For reference, connected my Meta Quest 3, I person a room of astir 40 apps — they return up little than 64GB of space. However, if you are a VR streamer, and you scheme to shop in-game recordings, nan 512GB exemplary is champion for you.

The Vision Pro, connected nan different hand, has an exorbitant value tag of $3,499, which gets you 256GB of storage. If that's not enough, drawback nan 512GB version for $3,699. The priciest model, astatine $3,899, gives you 1TB of storage.

Winner: Quest 3

Apple Vision Pro vs. Meta Quest 3: Design and comfort

I ain a Quest 3 and Meta decidedly "cheaped out" successful nan creation realm.

On nan positive side, it feels acold much lightweight than its predecessor (Quest 2). And pinch journalists and influencers complaining that nan Vision Pro is acold excessively dense to deterioration for long, I tin opportunity that is not an rumor pinch nan Quest 3.

However, nan achromatic nylon and polyester straps featured connected nan Quest 3 are flimsy. At 1 point, while I was adjusting nan headset connected my head, I accidentally yanked nan strap from its clasp. Luckily, I was capable to hole it, but this isn't a bully motion arsenic acold arsenic durability is concerned.

I'd highly recommend getting an Elite Strap alongside nan Quest 3. Yeah, I cognize it's annoying to bargain an other accessory erstwhile you're already dropping $500, but nan Elite Strap makes nan Quest 3 much snug connected your head, which is peculiarly perfect if you're playing high-energy games for illustration Beat Saber.

The Vision Pro, arsenic aforementioned, has developed a estimation of having mediocre weight distribution. YouTuber MKBHD remarked that he couldn't spot himself wearing it for excessively long. The Quest 3 is made pinch plastic, for nan astir part, giving it a featherweight feel. The Vision Pro, connected nan different hand, is made of metallic and glass, truthful it's rather unwieldy.

In nan aforesaid measurement Meta has nan Elite Strap, Apple offers thing called nan Dual Loop band, which helps amended nan Vision Pro's balance, according to CNET.

Unlike nan Elite Strap, though, nan Dual Loop set ships pinch nan Vision Pro.

Finally, if you inquire me, nan Vision Pro is nan sexier of nan two. The Meta Quest 3's trio of "eyes" punctual maine of a web-creating insect. Bleugh.

Winner: Draw

Apple Vision Pro vs. Meta Quest 3: Tracking

The Vision Pro, according to The Verge, has 12 cameras, a LIDAR sensor, a TrueDepth camera, and IR flood illuminators (allows your hands to beryllium "seen" successful low-light conditions).

The Quest 3, connected nan different hand, has nan pursuing sensors, according to Meta:

• 4 cameras connected nan beforehand of nan headset:

• 2 high-res RGB colour cameras utilized for mixed reality passthrough

• 2 IR cameras utilized to powerfulness SLAM search (hand tracking, controller tracking)

• 2 peripheral IR cameras connected nan little sides of nan headset utilized to powerfulness SLAM tracking

• Quest 3 besides has a extent projector that helps amended extent cognition for mixed reality experiences.

Both nan Vision Pro and Quest 3 tin motorboat augmented reality (AR) experience. In different words, successful summation of virtual reality (i.e., full immersion successful a simulated space), they tin overlay virtual artifacts connected apical of your real-world environment.

I've besides attached a Quest 3 merchandise truth expanse to this email for much context. Let maine cognize if you person immoderate further questions, happy to help!

To navigate these experiences, nan Vision Pro supports oculus search and manus tracking. It does not person controllers. The Quest 3, connected nan different hand, does not support oculus tracking, but it offers manus search — and ships pinch a brace of controllers.

Reviews, for illustration this 1 from CNET, opportunity that nan oculus and manus search connected nan Vision Pro are mindblowing. The manus search connected nan Quest 3, connected nan different hand, is simply a spot buggy and unreliable. The controllers, however, make nan Quest 3 a amended headset for gaming.

(The Vision Pro supports controllers specified arsenic PS5 DualSense, but nan Meta headset still has nan separator arsenic it has controllers tailored for nan Quest experience.)

Winner: Meta Quest 3

Apple Vision Pro vs. Meta Quest 3: Apps and games

Naturally, nan Quest bid is simply a much established headset line, pinch nan first user instrumentality hitting nan marketplace successful 2016 (i.e., nan Oculus Rift). As such, developers person been making games tailored for nan Quest level for years now.

Some of nan best Quest 3 games see I Expect You to Die 2, Pistol Whip, and Rec Room's Laser Tag.

And contempt nan Quest's incredibly ample portfolio of games, I don't usage it regularly. Once I've vanished playing a crippled I emotion (e.g., a caller installment from nan I Expect You to Die series), it's difficult to find different that's arsenic as gripping. And while nan Quest 3 has a cornucopia of stellar virtual reality games, arsenic I mentioned successful my review, nan AR games are scant.

So if nan Quest statement has this issue, and it's been astir for years, ideate nan mountainous hurdle that nan Vision Pro faces arsenic a fledgling mixed-reality headset successful nan market.

On nan positive side, Apple is making it easy for iPad and iOS developers to larboard complete their apps and games to nan Vision Pro. However, nan Vision Pro will still request mind-boggling native Vision Pro package — apps designed to return advantage of its top-of-the-line hand-and-eye search — to genuinely return off.

Apple has announced 600 apps for Vision Pro. Apple Arcade offers entree to 250 games, which will apt present much of a big-screen acquisition arsenic opposed to thing immersive, arsenic DigitalTrends puts it.

Keep successful mind that nan Vision Pro, dissimilar nan Quest 3, will not have autochthonal apps for YouTube and Netflix. And successful my experience, nan YouTube and Netflix experiences connected nan Quest 3 are phenomenal, some simulating a gigantic location theatre feel.

Winner: Meta Quest 3

Apple Vision Pro vs. Meta Quest 3: Graphics

The Vision Pro features dual 3,680 x 3,140-pixel, micro-OLED displays, which thumps what nan Quest 3 offers (dual LCD panels pinch 2,064 x 2,208-pixel resolution).

Based connected these specs, Vision Pro should present amended graphical fidelity compared to nan Quest 3. In different words, apps and games should consciousness much immersive because they're person to what nan eyes spot successful existent life.

The Quest 3, successful my opinion, has mediocre graphics. In mixed-reality games, though nan real-world situation is displayed successful vivid color, it's still somewhat fuzzy and noisy.

Winner: Vision Pro

Apple Vision Pro vs. Meta Quest 3: Battery life

Apple claims that nan Vision Pro delivers astir 2 to 2.5 hours of artillery life, which is akin to what I get pinch nan Quest 3.

The downside of nan Vision Pro, however, is that it comes pinch a artillery pack. You must complaint nan artillery battalion first. Next, you'll request to link nan artillery battalion to nan headset via a proprietary connector. Awkwardly, this artillery battalion must beryllium successful your pouch while you're utilizing nan Vision Pro.

The Quest 3 doesn't person this issue. You only request to complaint nan headset itself. Once it's juiced up, you're free to usage nan headset without immoderate wires getting successful nan way.

To make things clear, nan Quest 3 is simply a wireless headset. You do not request to hook it up to a PC. (It's worthy nothing, though, that you can connect it to 1 of nan champion gaming laptops to harness their GPU powerfulness to unlock entree to much powerful Steam VR games.)

Winner: Quest 3

Final thoughts

The Vision Pro whitethorn beryllium a cutting-edge technology, but since it's still a "baby," fewer apps will return afloat advantage of its capabilities astatine this time.

It's besides worthy noting that nan Vision Pro is not a gaming headset. Can it play games? Sure. For example, games for illustration Super Fruit Ninja and Demeo are expected to support Vision Pro. However, it doesn't person controllers, truthful nan manus search whitethorn not support up pinch immoderate of nan zippy action games connected nan market.

Plus, because nan Vision Pro is controller-less, established developers will person to rejig their games truthful that they're compatible pinch nan Apple headset's eye-and-hand search functionality, which takes time.

As such, nan Vision Pro is perfect for spatial computing (e.g., mixed-reality productivity) and immersive intermezo (e.g., watching multi-dimensional films, videos, and photos). The Quest 3 tin do each of those things — and fast-moving gaming.

For champion worth for money, nan Quest 3 is nan victor — for now.