Is it worth upgrading?

• 

  Meta task 3

  the best the best

  Quest 3 is an improvement over its predecessor in almost every way. When you add awe-inspiring MR experiences to the mix, it only becomes more enticing.

  advantage

  • Better graphics and display
  • Excellent passthrough and MR
  • Slim design

• 

  Meta task 2

  great value

  $250 $300 Save $50

  The Meta Quest 2 is an affordable and powerful standalone VR headset that’s proven to be extremely popular. It offers the widest variety of games and some of the best software available today.

  advantage

  • Now you can spend less money
  • Same great game library
  • Extensive accessory ecosystem

Main points

• The Quest 3 128GB is priced at $499, which is higher than the Quest 2’s launch price of $299, making it more expensive.
• The Quest 3 has better specs, design improvements such as slimness, and an IPD adjustment wheel.
• Quest 3 offers dual LCD panels, pancake lenses, and near-field speakers that sound 40% louder for a superior experience.

The VR revolution is in full swing and shows no signs of slowing down. After two successful headset launches, we launch the third generation of the Meta VR headset, aptly named Meta Quest 3. As you’d expect from the latest version of any piece of hardware, the Quest 3 has the most powerful engine running the hardware, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

Depending on what you plan to use VR for (such as work or gaming), there are a lot of factors to consider when investing in a product like a VR headset. Factors such as design, price, and even easy access to the product should all be taken into consideration. If you’re ready to dive headfirst into the Metaverse but aren’t quite sure which headset is right to take you there, I compared the Meta Quest 2 and 3 to determine which one is better.

Prices, specifications and availability

Admission fee

One of the biggest draws to the Quest 2 when it launched was its price. The Quest 2 debuted at just $299, making it attractive as a standalone VR device that can also be connected to a PC for a PCVR experience.

Meta has since actually raised the starting price of the Quest 2 to $399 in 2022 before dropping it back to the original asking price. Regardless, it always remains reasonable, especially compared to the high-end VR headsets on the market.

Since the Quest 3 is Meta’s most powerful headset yet, it’s perhaps no surprise that it’s more expensive. Quest 3 starts at $499/£479.99 for the 128GB model and $649.99/£619.99 for the 512GB model. However, several factors justify the price increase.

• 	Meta task 3	Meta task 2
  Resolution (per eye)	2,064 x 2,208 pixels per eye	1,832 x 1,920 per eye
  display type	Dual LCD, pancake lens	Single LCD screen, Fresnel lens
  storage	128GB/512GB	128GB/256GB
  Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2	Wireless network 6, Bluetooth 5.0
  Battery Life	2.4 hours of gameplay	2-3 hours 3640mAh battery
  vocal	Improved near field speakers	near field speakers
  weight	515g	503 grams
  refresh rate	120 Hz	120 Hz
  processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2	Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1
  Memory	8GB	6GB memory

design

Which one is more comfortable?

The most noticeable external changes to the Quest 3 are the three pill-shaped panels on the front of the headset. They feature new pass-through cameras as well as depth sensors for mixed reality experiences. The Quest 2 features a low-resolution monochrome pass-through camera designed to help you set up a monitoring system, but not for VR gaming.

The Quest 3 is also noticeably thinner, about 40 percent thinner, according to Meta. This design puts the weight closer to your face, which makes it feel more balanced and less prone to wobbling. The Quest 3’s strap has also been redesigned. It now has a more secure Y-shaped strap instead of the Quest 2’s T-shaped strap.

Both headphones come with an optional Elite strap, but the Quest 3 version includes an auxiliary battery pack for extended playtime, while the Quest 2 Elite strap is just a strap. The Quest 3 is also compatible with charging docks and features pogo pin contacts on the dock to accommodate this.

The Quest 3 includes an IPD adjustment wheel to adjust the lenses to match the distance between your eyes and adjust their depth without any accessories. So if you wear glasses, just slide the face port out to accommodate them. In contrast, the Quest 2 only offers three preset IPD options, and requires the use of spacers to wear the glasses with the headset.

The Quest 3’s touch controllers do away with the tracking ring, giving them a sleeker look and lighter overall weight. The main advantage is that you’re less likely to accidentally knock the controllers together while gaming. In use, they feel very similar to the older controllers, and the button layout remains the same.

Monitor and speakers

Audio and video in VR

Quest 3 features dual LCD panels with a resolution of 2604×2208 per eye and a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. The Quest 2 has a resolution of 1832×1920 per eye, and both are rendered on the same panel. However, it is also capable of gaming at 120Hz.

Another great thing about the Quest 3 is that it uses a pancake lens, which is very similar to what we saw on the Quest Pro. They’re both 40 percent thinner than the Quest 2’s Fresnel lenses, and about 25 percent sharper; you’ll also notice much less god rays and light artifacts.

It’s not just the visuals that have been upgraded, though. Meta has also done some research on near-field speakers. They are said to be 40% louder, with enhanced bass response. If you’re serious about sound quality, though, you’ll probably want to get a decent gaming headset, and both models come with a 3.5mm headphone jack to accommodate that need.

Hardware and performance

raw power

Quest 3 is the first product to hit the market powered by Qualcomm’s new XR2 Gen 2 processor. Compared to the Gen 1 chip used in Quest 2, the new chip delivers 2.5 times better GPU performance and is 50% more efficient. From a more practical standpoint, the Quest 3 can run games at higher resolutions and with better graphical fidelity at higher frame rates.

As you’d expect, this works for new games, but it also works for existing games. Meta says your entire library will look better and run more smoothly on Quest 3.

The biggest advantage of Quest 3 is not its VR gaming capabilities; In fact, it’s capable of MR gaming. Meta showcased some upcoming games that take full advantage of this, and we hope there are more to come, as it was a great experience. We’re assuming these games require a Quest 3 to run, but it’s possible they’re compatible with the Quest Pro as well. The likelihood of support for the Quest 2 seems slim given how crude its camera is.

Elsewhere, you get 8GB of RAM, compared to 6GB on the Quest 2. This should also help improve performance. The 512GB model also offers larger storage options, with the Quest 2 going up to 256GB. The base model of both headphones is 128GB.

in conclusion

takeout

The Quest 3 is clearly the better headset. It’s upgraded in almost every way imaginable and opens up a whole new world of MR experiences. Whether you’re trying VR for the first time or you’re a seasoned gamer looking for your next big break, we’d say this is the game for you.

However, the Quest 3 is also significantly more expensive. We think it’s worth spending the extra money, but it may not be a viable option for everyone. Quest 2 is already a great deal, and we can only imagine it’ll get even cheaper once Quest 3 arrives. If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, the Quest 2 is still well worth considering.