Meta Quest 3 vs Apple Vision Pro
Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro are the two most interesting headsets currently on the market. We have compared the two on some of the most interesting features.
Meta Quest 3
Apple Vision Pro
Comparison
Since its launch in October 2023, Meta Quest 3 has been considered the best VR headset in terms of value it brings. The visuals, ease of use, improved hardware (compared to Meta Quest 2) and the introduction of Mixed Reality has made Meta Quest 3 the top choice – especially due to the affordable price tag.
The long-awaited Apple Vision Pro, released in February 2024, in many eyes symbolizes the start of a new era – spatial computing. Amazing graphics, hand tracking, and almost perfect passthrough make up what’s now known as Apple’s product quality.
But of these two, which one is the better product? Which one should you choose?
To answer these questions, we’ll talk about both headsets – the value they bring, their functionalities, and hardware.
What value do they bring?
Both headsets can bring the following business values:
- Elevated brand experiences: Combine virtual brand stories and 3D products with real life stores or consumer homes.
- Make skills training even more engaging: Apply soft and hard skills training in any type of VR or MR environment.
Meta Quest 3 – more about interacting with others:
- Enhance online work meetings: Meta’s strategic partnership with Microsoft Mesh and Teams enables you to enter virtual worlds from both Meta Quest 3 and Teams on your computer.
- Easy to share a device. Multiple colleagues can use the same device for training or onboarding, keeping costs down.
- Meta Quest for Business: A subscription service that offers special enterprise-level features and customer support. For example, the service enables centralized management of VR headsets at the user, application, and device levels.
- Compatibility with your existing Windows PC environment via Oculus app.
Apple Vision Pro – a very personal device:
- Increased productivity and space management: Due to the possibility of opening multiple screens within the headset, no additional space needs to be allocated for screens, PC, desk, etc., and allows for faster and more efficient work.
- Apple Vision Pro was designed as a headset for working in the office – all the Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and Microsoft Teams are already available on Apple Vision Pro. Microsoft Mesh is not yet available, but it has been announced that it is set to be released in the near future.
- Compatibility with Apple eco-system – MacBook screens can be worked on from inside the headset by looking at MacBook and choosing the option to stream the screen to Apple Vision Pro. Other products like Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard are also compatible.
Passthrough
Currently, there’s no device that has better passthrough than Apple Vision Pro. It is almost as if you were looking through your own eyes at the real world. In Meta Quest 3, passthrough is not that good, but you can easily see the world around you and interact with it. Despite the amazing passthrough, you will experience blurriness when moving your head around fast in Apple Vision Pro. It is due to the headset automatically adjusting to new lightning and surroundings, and usually does not diminish the experience.
Up until this point, VR headsets were not trying to achieve such passthrough quality as Apple Vision Pro, as most of the experiences happen inside of generated world, not added upon the real one, which is a key difference between VR and AR devices. Such a change might mean that in the future VR headsets will also implement such passthrough.
Design
Meta Quest 3’s exterior is made of plastic, which makes it lighter and more resistant to breaking. It is comfortable to wear and mostly white (except for the cameras in the front being black). It has built in speakers, and a strap on top which further reduces the strain on the face from the headset.
Apple Vision Pro is made of aluminum alloy, silicon, yarn (for the Solo Knit Band) and plastic. It has a premium touch to it and looks very distinctive. However, the headset is a bit heavy compared to Meta Quest 3 – the Solo Knit Band might not be comfortable for extended use of the device, as most of the weight will be on the front of the face. That is why Dual Loop Band is better for such experiences.
Experience
Meta Quest 3 offers experience within VR, but also blend of VR and AR – MR. You can scan your environment, and apps/games will adjust to it, so that they interact with your surroundings.
Apple Vision Pro offers similar experiences. However, Apple prefers to call it Spatial Computing. In comparison to Meta Quest 3, Apple Vision Pro is better at room mapping and integrating apps/games into your surroundings.
Accessibility
Meta Quest 3 set up is fast, and room scanning takes seconds – you only need to look around you. If you want to connect to your PC, you must use the Oculus App, and the set up might take half an hour if you are unfamiliar with such interfaces, although it is intuitive.
Apple Vision Pro set up is also fast, usually taking up to 1 minute for a new person to start using the headset. Some features you must adjust to, like control with your hand and eyes, but it is intuitive. If you want to connect to your MacBook, you just need to be connected to the same Apple ID. All your data and subscriptions will be available and synced via Apple iCloud.
Technical comparison
| Components | Meta Quest 3 | Apple Vision Pro |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 | Apple M2 Chip, Apple R1 Silicon Chip |
| Lenses | Pancake lenses | Pancake lenses |
| XR Functions | VR, AR, MR | VR, AR, MR |
| Display type | LCD | Micro OLED |
| Max Refresh rate | 120Hz | 100Hz |
| Controllers | Touch Plus Controllers Hand Tracking | No controllers. Eye Tracking and Hand Tracking |
| Price | 4399 DKK | ~30000 DKK + Add Ons |
| Availability | Global | Exclusive to USA |
Which one to get?
While selecting the headsets, remember what experience and value you’re trying to get.
If you’re looking for experiences revolving around employee training and onboarding, gaming or more budget-friendly headset – Virsabi recommends Meta Quest 3 or even Meta Quest 2.
If you’re looking for an extraordinary experience, a personal work computer and overall device for everyday use – then Apple Vision Pro is something for you.
