Without a doubt, the greatest VR headset we’ve ever examined is the Meta Quest 3. The first and most significant lesson from our time spent on long-term testing is that. Pancake optics allow for a significantly smaller headset that is notably more comfortable to use. The Quest 3 boasts a higher display resolution than any previous Quest headset thanks to its pancake optics. Though it’s still not quite up to PC VR visuals, it’s getting there. Without a doubt, the display is not to blame.
The improvements don’t end there, either. The Touch Plus controllers are incredibly comfortable in the hand, offer remarkable full-color video passthrough, and offer a plethora of apps and games that beyond what is already available on Apple Vision Pro. The unfulfilled expectations of a mixed reality headset left us feeling a little let down when we began reviewing this headset back in October 2023. However, this feature has significantly improved through numerous software upgrades, including the highly appreciated Travel Mode.
A few crucial top information and elements of the 2024 Meta Quest 3 Review
Meta quest 3 reality war
Of course, Meta isn’t the only one. All participants in VR, AR (Augmented Reality), or MR appear to be rushing to get into any of these fields as a development comparable to the revolutionary smartphone. It appears that none of them know who the technology is intended for or what the best application case is. Playing games? Work? Exercise? Interaction? Every single one of them? None at all? We might receive a commission if you use the links in our stories to make a purchase. This contributes to the funding of our journalism. Find out more. Please think about signing up for WIRED as well.
Apple is preparing for the 2024 release of its Apple Vision Pro headset, which is at one end of the market. It is also aimed squarely at an imaginary MR market and will retail for an absurd $3,499 in price. On the other hand, businesses such as Niantic are choosing to utilize AR gaming apps like Pokémon Go or Monster Hunter Now—things you can use on your existing smartphone—instead of specialized hardware. After completing Quest 3, Meta is currently positioned in the center. It’s not the low-cost VR option for everyone that the Quest 2 was, but it’s also not the expensive luxury device that Apple is preparing.
Alternate Realities in Meta Quest 3
The fact that pass-through is enabled by default when utilizing Quest 3 is the most noticeable modification. The first sign of how much importance Meta is now placing on mixed reality is that, although full VR environments are still an option, you can see your actual surroundings as soon as you put on the headset. The pass-through elements included in previous Quests were extremely primitive, showing you your surroundings in black and white and with blur. With those front-facing RGB cameras providing an 18-PPD picture of your area, Quest 3’s inclusion of color makes all the difference in the world.
Still, there’s no denying this: It’s still hazy, but far less so than the drab, grainy wasteland of Quest 2. Similar to internal lenses, pass-throughs that are identical to not wearing a headset at all are still likely a few technology generations away. However, the full-color experience truly does make MR apps practical, even with the slightly fuzzy haze. Or rather, it might—but this is also the point at which the identity crisis that Quest 3 has been talking about, the uncertainty about who and what it is for, begins.
Meta quest 3 specs
With the second-generation Snapdragon XR2, which is made using a 7-nm process, and 8 GB of RAM, the system-on-a-chip is more robust. With its 10-nm, 6-GB RAM SoC, the Quest 3 is much snappier and more responsive than the Quest 2. Apps load more quickly, and once you’re inside, the experience is smoother. We might receive a commission if you use the links in our stories to make a purchase. This contributes to the funding of our journalism. Find out more. Please think about signing up for WIRED as well.
A few developers have already benefited from the power bump, including Vertical Robot, the Red Matter 2 company, which has released upgrades with 4K textures, sophisticated filtering and shadows, and higher resolution. Returning to the same game on Quest 2 feels like a PlayStation 5 to PlayStation 3 downgrade. Although not as much of an evolution, better displays and lenses contribute to this visual prowess. With two LCD panels and a resolution of 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye, the Quest 3 isn’t a huge upgrade over the Quest 2, which had a resolution of 1832 × 1920 pixels per eye. Though Meta refers to it as the 4K+ Infinite Display, don’t anticipate a picture as sharp as what your 4K TV can provide. Pixels are still visible when you are so near to a screen. But behind a pancake lens stack, which is derived from the one debuted on the Quest Pro, everything is much crisper and clearer with a better field of view (110 degrees horizontal and 96 degrees vertical, 15% more on the 2020 headset) and richer colors.
Smaller Packages, Better Things in Meta Quest 3
The Quest 3 can be charged via an external dock that is offered separately because of the contact pads on its base. Picture: Meta With the Quest 3, its physical dimensions have decreased to just one set of numbers. Significant miniaturization has been made possible by new parts and thinner lenses, yielding a headset that is 40% smaller than its predecessor. We might receive a commission if you purchase after clicking on links in our stories. This bolsters the credibility of our journalism. Study up on it. And please think about becoming a WIRED subscriber.
While there are packing benefits—the Quest 3’s box is practically smaller than the Quest 2’s enormous cuboid—the reduction also makes the device much more pleasant to use, especially for extended periods. Although it weighs somewhat more (515 grams compared to 503) than its older sibling, its center of gravity is more in line with your own because of its flatter shape. The padded face cushion is still comfortable and fits snugly against your face, blocking out all light except for a small amount around the nose gap. The elasticated strap has been slightly redesigned with a new Y-shaped spacer at the back of your head, allowing you to adjust the tension for a much more secure fit. Additional physical enhancements include an easy-to-use dial on the left bottom of the visor to modify the inter-pupillary distance, or the distance between the eyes, while the headset is on. This is a significant advance over the Quest 2, which necessitated taking the device off and on to change the spacing. Additionally, there is a significantly lower chance of lens fogging, which was a frequent annoyance of mine with the Quest 2.
Where Meta Quest 3 Turns Into a Trial
It’s also unexpected that despite all the hardware improvements Meta has made to Quest 3, the OS and UI still cling to the past. Whether installed or not, everything you own is arranged in reverse chronological order in your App Library tray, making navigation clumsy and organization appalling. Not only is it not possible to split them based on installation state or sort them alphabetically, but there are no additional capabilities like the ability to organize apps into folders. We might receive a commission if you use the links in our content to make purchases. This promotes our journalism. Find out more. Kindly think about becoming a subscriber to WIRED as well.
Even with the 64 GB original Quest 2 unit, this was a bothersome feature; now, with the Quest 3’s up to 512 GB of storage, things get cluttered quickly. With hopes of making Quest 3 a versatile platform that can be used for work, leisure, and fitness, Meta must provide consumers the ability to choose which apps to install. It’s undeniable that the majority of Quest 3 users still play games, which is why it’s sad that fundamental functions like save data migration haven’t been improved. Although Quest 2 included the feature of automatically enabling cloud backups, there doesn’t seem to be any method to manage data or manually transfer it between devices. You are only able to view the content that each headset has uploaded, even if you check your cloud backups in a browser. You are not able to copy or forcefully migrate files from a Quest 2 to a Quest 3 headset. It aggravates me.