The Meta Quest 3 is one of the most democratic standalone VR headsets around , but how does it compare to the agio Meta Quest Pro ?
While you might assume that the ‘ pro ’ VR headset will offer an all - round more premium experience with better execution , more advanced features and more , that ’s only half the the true . It ’s complicated by the fact that the tatty Quest 3 not only has a better central processor , but the same high - closing mixed reality capabilities .
The interrogative is , then , do you really want to buy the Meta Quest Pro ? We ’ve pass plenty of time in the practical macrocosm using both theMeta Quest 3andMeta Quest Pro , and here ’s how the two comparison .
Pricing and availability
Although the Meta Quest 3 is comfortably more expensive than its predecessor , at £ 489/$499 with 128 GB of storage , it ’s still half the price of the top - final stage Meta Quest Pro , which fall in at a nerveless £ 999/$999 .
In fact , it get going at an even more premium £ 1,499/$1,499 before Meta dropped the price calendar month by and by , mayhap due to the lack of interest in such a high - price headset .
Both headsets are usable to grease one’s palms now from various retail merchant in the UK and US , as well as Meta itself .
Design and controllers
plan is one sphere where the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest Pro disagree quite drastically . The Meta Quest 3 is a continuation of the invention of theQuest 2 , which is to say that it ’s shaped a bit like a pair of skiing goggles and fits onto your head with stretchy fabric strap – in its default configuration anyway .
The Meta Quest Pro , on the other hand , sports a rigid plastic headband with a crank mechanism to get the set just right . The battery pack also lives in the back of the headset to help balance weightiness , an significant ingredient considering the Quest Pro weighs in at a not - insignificant 772 g – 257 g more than the 515 g Quest 3 .
However , the grownup difference between them is that the Quest Pro does n’t at once cover your face like most VR headset do . rather , the slimline HMD sits just in front of your eye , with no kind of fascia to block the real universe from your peripheral imagination . This is done to help more well-situated interracial world experiences , and while it does come with side - blocking agent in the box seat for VR session , a full facia – as you get with the Quest 3 – comes as an optional accessory .
Elsewhere , both headsets sport pancake optics that allow for a very svelte HMD , especially noticeable from the jump from the Quest 2 to the Quest 3 . They also lark USB - vitamin C and 3.5 millimeter interface for headphones if the integrated open - air speaker do n’t fulfil your needs .
The Meta Quest Pro ’s accountant are notable not only because of their thick and ergonomic human body but also because of the technical school within . Unlike the equally thick Quest 3 control , the Pro controllers sport a handful of cameras to offer inside - out tracking main of the headset .
This give up the Quest Pro controllers to continue delivering true 1:1 give chase even when out of sight of the headset , removing unreasoning spots like reaching behind your head to grab a weapon system in a VR plot and marginally improving functioning in fast - paced rubric like Beat Saber . They ’re also rechargeable , unlike the even Quest 3 control , which require AA battery to operate .
Features and performance
With the Meta Quest Pro costing much double what you may piece the Quest 3 up for , it might surprise you to find out that the Quest 3 is actually the more powerful of the two with the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset .
The Quest Pro , on the other mitt , frolic the slightly older Snapdragon XR2 + chipset , and it come with a boosted 256 GB storage as standard .
That means that the Quest 3 offers serious performance gain that give it the edge when running practical rubric . The flapcake optics and enhanced resolution of the Quest Pro do help it compete slightly , but it ca n’t render the same high - quality texture and Modern particle effect that the Quest 3 can .
Instead , the Meta Quest Pro justify its price with high-pitched - end eye- and face - tracking seen by the like of the $ 3,500 Apple Vision Pro . This allow you to better carry yourself in societal VR with non - visual cues , ideal for practical business meetings and the like that Meta envisions with the Pro headset .
It certainly make for a more natural experience , but to genuinely benefit , those you interact with also involve the Quest Pro . Otherwise , they ’re seeing your expressive facial expression while you ’re met with the same old vacuous regard .
Both headsets also have improved hand - tracking capacity , and with a plethora of game and apps sustain the technical school , it ’s right smart more useful than the Pico 4 which only allows hand - tracking in the Home UI .
Elsewhere , both the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest Pro volunteer colour passthrough and mixed realism capabilities . The same MR apps work on across both headsets , along with the same vast library of VR and MR titles – over 500 at the time of authorship .
This is arguably the independent reason to prefer for a Meta headset in general , with competing standalone headset like thePico 4andHTC Vive XR Elitelacking cause of death VR title like Beat Saber .
Battery life and charging
When it comes to battery lifespan , the gimcrack Meta Quest 3 has the upper helping hand – though this mainly comes down to the face- and eye - trailing of the Meta Quest Pro using up a fair portion of the headset ’s charge , as it ’s stag to last between 90 and 120 second on a accusation with the features active .
It can be extended to rival the Quest 3 ’s 3 - hour electric battery life by disabling the tech , but that efficaciously means you ’re disable one of the few USPs of the top - final stage headset . Kind of get the better of the use , right ?
The Quest Pro does have one redeeming characteristic though ; simple charging . The top - end headset fare with a charging dock that you may place both the controllers and headset onto for easy wireless charging . It ’s a much more convenient choice than the regular USB - C charging used by the Quest 3 and the replaceable AA batteries call for by the accompanying accountant .
you could , however , buy third - political party Quest 3 accessories that mime the functionality , helping bridge deck the col without forking out for the top - end headset .
Final Verdict
While some dedicated VR fans will no doubt be tempted by the face- and middle - tracking of the Quest Pro , the headset ’s price – and the fact that the Meta Quest 3 is half the Leontyne Price while offer good performance – means that the Quest Pro will stay a niche in Meta ’s VR ingathering .
For most people , the Quest 3 is the good option . This is further supported by the fact that third - company accessories can match element of the Quest Pro ’s design , from the rigid headband to wireless charging , all at a bum cost .
