If you're in the market for a new virtual reality (VR) headset, you might be better off considering the new Meta Quest 3 over Apple's upcoming Vision Pro.
Meta Quest 3 – 1 MONTH later… is it worth it?
Starting at $499, the Meta Quest 3 is considerably cheaper than Apple’s $3,499 headset. Despite the lower price, it offers improved features, including a more robust Qualcomm chip, improved displays, and “passthrough” augmented reality (AR) capability, which is also a new feature that’s expected to be one of the main draws of Apple’s Vision Pro.
“Quest 3 opens up a whole new headset AR experience for consumers in a way we haven’t seen before,” Tom Emrich, Niantic’s Director of Product, AR Platforms, told Lifewire in an email interview. “Up until now, available AR headsets have been focused primarily on the enterprise. With Quest 3’s $499 color passthrough capability, developers now have a real opportunity to create augmented reality content for meaningful audiences.”
The standout feature of the Quest 3 headset is its quick access to view the outside world, reducing the feeling of isolation and improving comfort for extended use. While using an app on the Quest 3, a double tap on any part of the headset effortlessly switches users from the virtual world to “passthrough” mode.
