Verdict
The Meta Quest Pro offers telling features like people of colour passthrough for AR , face- and middle - tracking and improved optics , but the lack of AR apps , the top - remainder toll and the fact that colour AR is coming to the Quest 3 subsequently this year at half the price means it has a very limited audience .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Meta Quest Pro represents the pinnacle of Meta ’s VR collection , offering expert carrying into action and more innovative capabilities than the popular Quest 2 – though it ’s alsomuchpricier than the comparatively low-cost standalone headset .
In fact , the Meta Quest Pro launch at an oculus - watering £ 1499/$1499 back in October 2022 , though following what I can only take were underwhelming sales , the company for good reduced the price to £ 999/$999 in March 2023 . It ’s still an expensive headset then , but one that ’s now slightly more tempting than it was at launching .
It ’s also an entirely unlike brute to theQuest 2 in that it focuses as much onARas it doesVR , complete with color passthrough and improve hand - trailing capabilities to power the augment experience on offer . There ’s also face andeye - trackingtech that should be a real boon to social interactions in virtual worlds .
The problem is , surprisingly for Meta , a lack of apps to take reward of the tech , even several months after its initial launch . Is the hardware enough to justify the price and make it a tempting option for fans of VR ? Well …
Design and fit
Despite sharing the same Quest blade , the Quest 2 and Quest Pro are entirely dissimilar beasts , and that ’s evident from the look and feel of Meta ’s new high - end headset . It ’s a totally dissimilar approach to the Quest 2 , which looks relatively bulky and a little honest-to-god - school compared to the slick , compact beast that is the Quest Pro .
More specifically , the Meta Quest Pro sports an impressively thin caput - mount presentation ( HMD ) that , at 196 millimetre thick-skulled , is more than half the breadth of the Quest 2 headset , allow for for a much more heavyset form factor .
This is made possible thanks to the introduction of a new Fresnel - based crystalline lens system and the fact that Meta has shifted the position of the assault and battery from the HMD to the rear of the headset . The latter also help oneself with weight distribution , which is of key grandness to the Meta Quest Pro as it ’s much heavier than its cheaper sib at 772 g.
The slimline HMD is tie in to a rigid principal shoulder strap with a crank alteration similar to that of the Quest 2 ’s optional Elite Strap , making it relatively easy to slip the headset on and tighten it in place – easier than messing around with the material strap of the Quest 2 , anyway .
Within the strap you ’ll find embed stereo speakers that do a surprisingly good job at providing spatial audio . They wo n’t block interference from your environment so it ’s not majuscule if you desire to toy a number of VR in a loud surroundings , however , nor does it cater the same booming bass when playing my favourite tracks on Beat Saber . But , if you want full audio immersion , you’re able to hook up some good - old wired headphones with the comprehension of a 3.5 mm headphone tar .
get the exact tantrum can be a bit of a fiddly job , particularly at first as the headset does n’t attach to your case like the Quest 2 , but rather float just in front of your eyes . There is a primed chequer that uses the face- and eye - tracking of the headset to confirm that you ’re tire out the headset right , but it ’s not always the most helpful or accurate . Still , it should make it a petty easy to introduce ally and family to the world of VR and verify they ’re engender the best experience possible .
That ’s also true of the IPD ( inter - pupillary distance ) adjustment of 55 - 75 mm , offering a wider kitchen range than the Quest 2 ’s 56 - 70 mm , and it ’s much more granular than the three preset adjustment from the accounting entry - stratum headset too . This all makes it much easy to get crisp visuals from the headset , though , unlike the competingHTC Vive Elite XR , you ’ll still have to move the lenses yourself .
I should also show out that the Meta Quest Pro does n’t come with a full faint blocker in the box , rather shipping with side blockers that help cut down the beguilement of the real world while still being aware of your physical environs . That ’s down to the AR / VR capabilities of the headset , which I ’ll come to a picayune afterward on .
Meta does volunteer a traditional full light blocker , which uses magnets to snap into shoes pretty easily , but it ’ll be you an extra £ 49.99 – a respectable cost consider the premium toll tag of the headset . It would ’ve been much more good to include both the side blocker and full blocker in the box to allow for the best potential execution of AR and VR without require to separate out for extra accessories , but hey …
Controllers
The Meta Quest Pro come with completely redesigned controllers that are much more compact and lightweight than those that ship with the Quest 2 . You might remark that the tracking ring of the aged controllers is no longer present , and that ’s because the restrainer no longer rely on the headset for trailing – they ’re capable of doing that all by themselves .
This is thanks to the addition of a smattering of cameras across the controllers that , when combine with theSnapdragon 662chipset found in each control , can compute its position with the same 1:1 truth you ’ve total to expect from Meta ’s controller .
It means that there are n’t any drained spots when tracking , disregardless of the controllers ’ posture compared to the headset . That ’s a huge blessing in VR games like Blade and Sorcery : Nomad where you have to reach behind your shoulder to call up weapon system . Making such relocation with the Quest 2 would once in a while result in lost tracking , but that ’s not something I really know with the Pro controllers .
The Pro accountant are my favourite amongall VR headsetsavailable at the moment , especially compare to the relatively chunky controllers on offer from the equally mellow - endHTC Vive Elite XR .
The compact form factor take into account the control to fit much more well in my hands , making it easier to grapple , while still allowing for comfortable access to all the clit and induction . There ’s even a Modern slanted country for resting my thumbs when not in participating use , a feature particularly helpful for boxing game where you tend to make a fist around your controllers .
The clitoris placement has n’t changed compared to the Quest 2 so there ’s very little adjustment if you ’re coming from Meta ’s cheaper headset , and it also allows for backward compatibility with the older headset – though at £ 300/$300 , I ’m not certain many will invest .
Specs and features
The Meta Quest Pro offer up greatly improved visuals , but what might be surprising is that it ’s not down to an increase in resolution , with the Pro sporting a similar 1800 x 1920 per eye firmness of purpose as the Quest 2 .
rather , it ’s down to the new hotcake eye that deliver a notable improvement on overall image fidelity , allowing it to reckon much open and more vibrant overall – though that ’s in all probability also help by theMini - LEDbacklighting that promote the dynamic range on offering .
The compounding of improved optics and a ( fairly ) eminent - res showing also makes it easier to read text in VR , one of the big hurdling of early headset that suffered from SDE ( screenland room access effect ) – a finicky boon for work in VR which , funnily enough , the Quest Pro is designed for .
It ’s deserving observe that the flapcake oculus are n’t single to the high - end headset . In fact , the Quest 2 challenger , thePico 4 , sport both a hot cake lens system and high resolution displays ( 2160 x 2160 per middle ) than the Quest Pro , and it costs just £ 379 in the UK .
One expanse where the Meta Quest Pro is a substantial improvement on the Quest 2 is in the processing section , romp Qualcomm ’s updated Snapdragon XR2 + Gen 1 chipset and a decent 12 GB of RAM to play with . Meta claims that there ’s a 50 % boost to processing exponent and 30 % improvement to thermal public presentation that keeps it running optimally for prospicient period .
The chipset also boosts foreland , controller and hired hand trailing , with the latter offering markedly better public presentation than the already - decent Quest 2 . It ’s in particular renowned in AR game and experience when combined with the new full - colour passthrough , further break away down the barriers between the real and virtual worlds , as well as make existing hand - tracked titles like Unplugged : Air Guitar all the more enjoyable to play .
The other big additions to the Meta Quest Pro are face- and eye - tracking sensors that allow the headset to map your gaze and facial expression and use this datum in VR apps like Meta ’s study - rivet Horizon Workrooms to cater a much more lifelike social experience , and it should be a Brobdingnagian boon in societal VR apps that stick out the tech too .
It allows you to better convey with people in VR and is able-bodied to blame up on the lowly nuances in human communication like a brash wink or a smirk when saying something sarcastic . That ’s not bad for VR collaboration , helping it palpate more instinctive , pictorial and memorable than star at an expressionless look for hours on end .
The issue is that it ’s not really tech that you ’ll profit from yourself , as those you converse with in VR will also need the Quest Pro and its sensing element to properly emulate facial expressions and regard . Still , it should be apprize by all your VR partner !
Other celebrated specs include a boosted 256 GB of storage as touchstone , as well as living forWi - Fi 6Eand Bluetooth 5.2 , though it ’s worth remark that the headset still ca n’t be used with standard Bluetooth headphones due to rotational latency yield . alternatively , it ’s used to connect to your smartphone to deliver incoming notifications on - screen while using the headset .
bombardment life could be better at a rat 90 - 120 minute of manipulation calculate on what you ’re doing , and that seemed about right in my months of using the headset for AR and VR . you may extend the assault and battery biography to pit the 3 hours of the Quest 2 by incapacitate grimace and eye tracking , but that kind of kill the determination of the headset .
At least charging is convenient via the bundled dock ; simply grade the headset and controllers onto the pitch-dark low - visibility dock to charge them up .
Performance and software
Meta ’s vast program library of VR experiences is one of the biggest draws of any Meta headset , boasting gamy - calibre single title of respect like The Climb and Robo Recall as well as hugely democratic practical games like Beat Saber . However , the Meta Quest Pro isn’tjustfocused on VR – it also has its sights set on blending the veridical and virtual worlds using augment world ( AR ) .
That ’s powered by front - facing full - colour cameras that – in summation to rescue coloration instead of black - and - bloodless passthrough like the Quest 2 – boasts 4x the pixels . It ’s also stereo passthrough compared to the mono offering from the crummy Pico 4 , which combines the remark from the two front - facing cameras to provide a sense of deepness when looking at your environment .
It ’s still not perfect – the stereo passthrough creates a bite of falsify in place where it essay to go the two remark together – but it ’s not enough of an yield to take away from the overall experience , especially once practical factor are overlay on top of the camera input .
You ’ll also have to manually lay up your elbow room and ‘ tell ’ the headset where various paries and surface are before the AR fun can begin , but the company claim it ’s working on an automatic root for going further down the road .
Augmented reality apps and game like I Expect You To Die : Home Sweet Home feel so comfortable thanks to the clear periphery design of the headset that essentially give up you to see the material world in your peripheral vision , helping you stay grounded while experiencing AR sport . That explains the deficiency of a full - light blocker like most traditional headsets .
The self-aggrandising job is that there are n’t a lot of AR - theme apps usable to download , even 8 months after the headset was first publish . You ’ve got a few notable option like Virtuoso , but most , like Horizon Workrooms and Gravity Sketch , are concentrate on VR collaboration and work .
And , with the Meta Quest Pro being such a niche choice thanks to its bounty price , I ’m not sure many developers will go all - in on produce AR apps – not until the release of the bum Quest 3 subsequently this year , anyway .
To be average to Meta , the workroom update was a pretty cool one , essentially giving you your own secret virtual ( and customisable ) bureau with access to your microcomputer or Mac display . Or , if you prefer , you could use it in passthrough mode and see your real environment with up to three floating exhibit in front of you , ground in billet .
It ’s ready to hand if you ’ve only got a compact workspace and want to use a multi - display setup , though I apply up try out to use a headset for work after around 3 hours of use – it was just too uncomfortable to wear for such prospicient periods . As such , I ’d point prospect about ditching traditional laptop displays for the Meta Quest Pro , as alluring as it may be .
When it comes to traditional VR apps and games , expect a very standardized experience to the Quest 2 – though with slightly improved visuals – which is to say that it ’s top - level and exhaustively enjoyable . You ’re also able-bodied to apply Air Link , Meta ’s wireless PC connectivity technical school , to teem VR form of address from your stake PC to further expand the VR offering .
My only VR - related ailment is that the standard side - blocking agent offer in the box with the Meta Quest Pro let light in from the bottom of the headset , occasionally distract me from the virtual creation and cease me from being completely immerse . For that , you ’ll have to purchase the optional full - spark blocking agent I mentioned earlier .
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Should you buy it?
While color AR passthrough is confirm to be guide to the Quest 3 later this year , it looks like face- and center - tracking will remain exclusive to the Pro . It ’s bully for social VR , ply a more natural human experience .
While VR is available on the Quest Pro , the want of a full light blocker in the box mean it ’s not as immersive as the Quest 2 . Plus , the VR games are identical across the two , so you ’re not gaining anything by opting for the top - end headset .
Final Thoughts
The Meta Quest Pro is a pricey headset that is n’t for everyone – peculiarly now that Meta is teasing theQuest 3and its colour AR capability ahead of release this twelvemonth at half the damage of the £ 999/$999 Quest Pro .
That ’s not to say that it is n’t impressive , with the headset ’s face and eye trailing provide a actual benefit to social VR interaction , and the pancake eye really improving overall clarity without having to boost the display resoluteness too much . It ’s also a slick bit of kit , even if it does get uncomfortable after a couple of time of day of changeless role .
The Quest Pro comptroller are a real treat too , offer not only a much more succinct form factor than theQuest 2controllers but the ability to track themselves in the forcible space without needing the headset to pinpoint their location . This completely eliminate dead stain and the episodic release of trailing , as well as being more easy to hold and use .
However , with a Mary Leontyne Price shred literally double that of the approaching Quest 3 and the want of killer AR apps to really betray the advanced feature on offer , it remains a hard sell for anyone aside from those thatreallywant to try AR right now . For most people , the Quest 2 stay the best alternative around . see to it out ourBest VR headsetsfor more options .
Trusted Score
How we test
When test a VR headset , we verify to try out a variety of games and apps . We evaluate various view , such as the innovation , fit , screen quality , barrage life and the characteristic band .
FAQs
Yes , you’re able to use the Quest Pro controller with the Quest 2 to improve the tracking capability in games and apps .
It come with 256 GB of storage as standard , with no other repositing options uncommitted .
Usually between 1.5 and 2 minute depending on the app / biz in question , though that can be extended by disabling the face- and eye - tracking when not in use .
