A competition between Meta’s reasonably priced VR headset options
TheOculus quest 3 is available and will arrive soon, thus determining how the Quest 3 compares to the Oculus quest 2 is important whether you possess a Quest 2 and are seeking an upgrade or have put off purchasing a VR headset.
Both of Meta’s sub-$500 VR headsets are a bargain in compared to Apple’s Vision Pro, which will be on sale soon at a stunning $3,499, and are thus sure to garner even more attention this year.
Without further ado, here is a comparison of Quests 3 and 2.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Meta Quest 3 | Meta Quest 2 |
| Starting price | $499 | $299 |
| Chipset | XR2 Gen 2 Qualcomm Snapdragon | XR2 Snapdragon by Qualcomm |
| Storage | 128GB or 512GB | 128GB, 256GB |
| RAM | TBA | 6GB |
| Display resolution | 2,064 x 2,208 pixels per eye | 1,832 x 1920 pixels per eye |
| Lenses | optical stack for pancake lenses | Solitary LCD |
| Tracking | 6 cameras are used for inside-out tracking. | 4 cameras used for inside-out tracking |
| Battery | TBA (Average battery life claimed to be 2.2 hours) | 3,640 mAh |
QUESTION 2 VS. META QUESTION 3: VALUE AND AVAILABILITY
Over the past few years, the cost of Quest 2 has been quite volatile. Initially priced at $299 when it was released in 2020, Meta later increased it to $399 last summer. However, the Quest 2 was returning to its initial $299 pricing during the first Oculus quest 3 preview.
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This serves as a benchmark against the Quest 3, which can be pre-ordered starting at $499 today. Each device’s basic model has 128GB of storage, and although the improved 256GB Quest 2 costs only $349, the 512GB Quest 3 costs $649.
The Quest 2 wins on price alone, but the Quest 3, which starts at $499, is at least as good of a deal when you take into account all of the enhancements that we’ll discuss below.
Winner: Draw
META QUEST 3 VS. QUEST 2: DESIGN
Even at a look, Quest 3 andOculus quest 2are clearly connected, although the new edition has several significant differences.
Both have a matte plastic body and the same all-white appearance. Despite being 40% thinner than the Oculus quest 2, the Quest 3 nevertheless maintains the same fundamental shapes as its predecessor.
The Quest 2 has four recessed regions with trackers for placement, one at each corner. The volume rocker for the headset is located on its top. Its power button is located on the right side. The Quest 2 is held in place by a cloth strap that stretches from a set of plastic arms on the sides, but we advise anybody who buys it to also get the $59.99 Elite Strap, which vastly enhances comfort and fit.
The area of the Quest 2 that touches your face is enclosed in a black foam liner. As playing VR for lengthy periods of time might get a little sweaty, Meta now provides a silicon cover that fits over this foam as many were encountering troubles with this foam and the silicon is much simpler to clean.
There are three IPD (inter-pupillary distance) adjustment levels on the Quest 2 inner goggles. It takes a little bit of trial and error to get this adjustment right because you need to take the headset off to obtain the best image possible.
The Quest 3 adds 3 sensors to the front of the headset, which may trigger some with a particular phobia, and does give the headset a slightly more odd appearance overall compared to the minimalist look of the Quest 2.
The fabric band of the Quest 3 is more robust according to Meta, but that is a claim that we’ll have to experience to weigh in on properly. It’s possible that due to the considerably lighter weight something like the Elite Strap is no longer necessary, but again we’ll believe that when we’ve experienced it for ourselves.
Meta Quest Pro (Mathematical credit)
The Quest 3 relocates the volume control to the bottom of the headset and, happily, follows the lead of the Quest Pro by including a wheel on the bottom of the goggles that allows you to select your desired IPD level. This not only expands your options but also allows you to adjust it while still wearing your goggles.
From a strictly aesthetic perspective, I believe the Quest 2 is likely the winner, but when I take into account the Quest 3’s much slimmer profile, I have to award it to it since that might change the game in terms of usability and comfort.
Winner: Quest 3
META QUEST 3 VS. QUEST 2: PORTS
A USB-C connector is included on the Meta Quest Pro and Quest 2 for charging and data transfer.
The Quest 3 does not have the 3.5mm headset connector that the Quest 2 does, allowing you to attach your preferred headphones.
Result: Quest 2
META QUEST 3 VS. QUEST 2: CONTROLLERS
The Quest 3 removes unnecessary components from the third-generation Oculus Touch controllers from the Quest 2 in a manner similar to how the headset design has changed. The top loop of the Quest 2 controller has been removed, which is the primary change. The rest is virtually unchanged, including a capacitive joystick, touchpad, and face buttons in addition to middle- and index-finger triggers.
Meta Quest Pro (Mathematical credit)
We found the Quest Pro controllers to be more pleasant than the original Quest 2 controllers, so it seems probable that this will also apply to the Quest 3 controllers. Inside, the haptics should be significantly better.
Result: Oculus quest 3
META QUEST 3 VS. QUEST 2: EXPERIENCE
The primary difference between the Quest 3 and the Quest 2 is that the former is an AR/VR mixed-reality headset, while the latter is a pure VR headset. This implies that it may provide apps and gaming experiences that merge in with the actual environment around you, much like what we anticipate from Apple’s AR/VR headset.
Meta Quest Pro (Mathematical credit)
This is because the upgraded sensors on the front of the Quest 3 enable the new full-color passthrough mode, whereas the Quest 2 can only provide a hazy grayscale view of reality that is only useful for avoiding obstacles.
Meta Quest Pro, courtesy of Laptop Mag
Similar to what we saw with the Quest Pro, this really opens up a whole new universe of possibilities for the Quest 3. The Quest 3 could be used for productive activities, enhancing your regular laptop with additional virtual screens that appear beside it.
The Quest 3 film demonstrates a virtual tabletop gaming environment where players may roll dice and see the outcomes of their decisions play out on a virtual board put on their table due to the depth sensor in the Quest 3. Games will also be able to overlay on reality.
Quest 2 (Photo by Meta)
The inclusion of AR to the Meta Quest 3 has a lot of potential, therefore it undoubtedly wins this category, although it is less well-established than VR. While some contend that there is yet no “killer app” for virtual reality, this is now much more true for augmented reality.
Given that Apple entered the mixed-reality industry this year, there is every reason to think that it will take off in the coming years.
OUTLOOK
(Meta credit for image)
The Oculus quest 3 is superior to the Oculus quest 2, which should not come as a surprise, but the real question is whether it is $200 superior.
The most obvious distinction is the mixed-reality element; if it appeals to you, you must choose the Quest 3 because the Quest 2 lacks anything equivalent.
Quest 3 has a few other advantages as well, though. Additionally, the 40% size decrease is a game-changer. While the Quest 2 combined with the Elite Strap is solid and comfortable, you will never forget that you have a large headset strapped to your face. Add to this the higher resolution lenses, the more powerful (and hopefully efficient) Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset, and the redesigned controllers
Therefore, who should still play Quest 2? Saving $200 to spend on VR applications and games is definitely the best course of action if you don’t think you’ll utilize mixed reality and you’ll largely stick to short (20-30 minute) VR sessions when the weight difference won’t matter much to you.
Quest 3 will be difficult to pass up if you are a dedicated Quest 2 player right now since it is superior in every way. To at least somewhat defray the expense, you can sell your Quest 2.
Contact us
To find the contact information and pricing details for the Oculus Quest 3, I recommend contacting their customer support directly Contact us . They will have the most up-to-date information on their products and how to get in touch with them
Overall, we’re happy with the enhancements, and the Quest 3 is probably the best option. We’ll update this comparison after we’ve finished our comprehensive Quest 3 review.