There's a lot of competition — and buzz — around virtual reality headsets lately. With Meta, the company that owns Facebook, and Apple both launching major new systems, the big question is which one will consumers gravitate toward — and which one is actually better?
It should come as no surprise that Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, thinks the Meta Quest 3 is where it's at. In a reel that he recorded on a Quest 3 and posted to Instagram, he explained that he tested out the Apple Vision Pro so he could compare the two systems — and why he believes his VR headset is the better choice.
Shop this article: Meta Quest Pro, Apple Vision Pro, Playstation VR2 Headset
"I don’t just think that Quest is the better value, I think Quest is the better product, period," Zuckerberg said. "Different companies made different design decisions for the headsets, they have different strengths. But overall, Quest is better for the vast majority of things that people use mixed reality for."
One of the big pluses, he said, is that the Quest 3 weighs around 4 1/4 ounces less than the Vision Pro, which makes it more comfortable to wear for things like gaming and exercising. Zuckerberg criticized Apple for trading off comfort and ergonomics so it could get a higher-resolution screen inside its device.
Zuckerberg also said the Quest 3's physical hand controllers and hand tracking for input are better, though he said he's a fan of VR headsets with eye-tracking capabilities, and teased that they're probably coming to later Quest models after being introduced in the Quest Pro.
And while he admitted that Apple's Vision Pro is a better entertainment device, he said Quest has a better "immersive" content library than Apple, which is definitely true for now.
Oh, there's also the fact that the Quest 3 is "like, seven times less expensive."
BestReviews testers agree with Zuckerberg — the Quest Vision Pro is the best of the best. It's great for gamers, creatives and other users because it's powerful and untethered with a high-quality screen and good storage. Just don't get too hyped up for the Metaverse, which didn't live up to anyone's expectations.
Our testers found that the Meta Quest 2 offers the most bang for your buck, with adjustable 3D audio, easy setup and a vast library of more than 350 games, media players, fitness apps and more. This headset is also intuitive and easy for even beginners to use.
Apple Vision Pro is new to the market but has some cool features — our editors like that it mixes virtual with reality, letting you use your apps in the space around you without restricting your view of the real world. But the battery only lasts a couple of hours, so you have to use an additional tethered pack, which restricts comfort and movement.
Meta Quest 3 Breakthrough Mixed Reality System
The Quest 3 is a mid-priced, accessible option with amazing image quality and untethered performance, according to BestReviews testers. Its 4K+ resolution makes images pop, and the content library is huge.
This headset is the one to get if you have a Playstation 5 and want a more immersive experience. It offers a spacious field of view and vivid graphics, plus it tracks eye movement and emotions to truly put you in your game. The downside is it only works if you have a Playstation 5, so altogether, it's an expensive setup.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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