Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3: which mixed reality headset is right for you?
Apple and Meta are competing head-to-head in the mixed reality space, but which headset should you buy?
The battle to be the best mixed-reality headset on the market is now underway, but who will come out victorious when it comes to the Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3?
Both headsets offer ground-breaking new experiences when it comes to augmented and virtual reality, but they’re aimed at different markets. The Apple Vision Pro price alone means it will only appeal (and be viable) for a small minority of interested buyers. It’s also focused on “spatial computing” as opposed to gaming and aims to take everything you love about your iPhone, iPad, and entertainment devices, and combine them into a futuristic, all-in-one headset that is operated using your hands, voice and eyes.
The Meta Quest 3, by comparison, is an expansion upon the popular Meta Quest 2, which many people regard as the best VR headset available due to its massive library of games, low price point, and wireless capabilities – sorry, PSVR 2. Its main focus is gaming, though it also includes some productivity and entertainment features.
Still, you may be wondering which headset is right for you – here’s how they currently compare.
Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3: price
The Apple Vision Pro price is prohibitive, to say the least, and makes the Meta Quest 3 look like a steal in comparison. Apple’s headset costs $3,499, which means it’s one of the most expensive mixed-reality headsets on the market. However, it’s packed with cutting-edge technology and will appeal to those already inside Apple’s ecosystem
The Meta Quest 3 price starts at $499 for the 128GB storage model and $649 for the 512GB model, and both come with a free copy of Asgard’s Wrath 2. The Quest 3 price is seven times cheaper than the Apple Vision Pro, and it also comes with a pair of controllers (though hand tracking is supported in select games and applications). It’s also backward compatible if you were wondering ‘Do Meta Quest 2 games work on Quest 3?’. That means you’ll instantly have access to any games you bought on Quest 2 or downloaded from Meta Quest Plus.
There’s quite the price disparity between Apple and Meta’s headsets, then, and means there’s only one winner when it comes to price: the Meta Quest 3.
Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3: release date
The Apple Vision Pro released on February 2, 2024, which was few months after the Meta Quest 3 pipped it to market on October 10, 2023. Meta will have wanted to have its headset out before Black Friday on November 24 to spur early sales. Having a headstart on the Vision Pro may prove to be important, too, as it gives Quest 3 time to attract new customers and encourage Quest 2 users to upgrade.
Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3: specs
The Apple Vision Pro specs are impressive, to say the least, and it may be the most powerful consumer device ever released. Here’s a breakdown of everything included in Apple’s mixed-reality headset.
Apple Vision Pro specs
Operating system: visionOS
Display Type: Micro OLED
Lenses: Custom design
HDR compatible: Yes
Refresh rate: 90/96Hz
Chipset: Apple M2/R1
Battery life: 2 hours
Microphones: 6
Cameras: 2 high-res, LiDAR + TrueDepth
Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB
Price: $3,499/$3,699/$3,899
The Meta Quest 3 is also packed with the latest technology. Here are the specs of Meta’s next-gen headset.
Meta Quest 3 specs
Operating system: Android
Display Type: LCD, 2064x220 pixels per eye
Lenses: Pancake
Refresh rate: 90Hz, 120Hz (experimental)
Field of view: 110 degrees horizontal and 96 degrees vertical
Chipset: Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
Battery life: Up to 2.2 hours of usage on average
Charge time: Approximately 2.3 hours
Cameras: 2 TGB Color cameras and depth projector
Weight: 515 grams
Storage: 128GB / 512GB
Price: $499/$699
Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3: which one should you buy?
Both headset offer cutting-edge mixed-reality experiences but at wildly different price points. Apple’s positioning its headset as a true multimedia device, able to boost your productivity, enhance your entertainment and so much more. The Meta Quest 3, however, is still primarily focused on VR gaming and seems a far more capable device in that regard.
If you’re looking for something that has the potential to replace your 4K TV, computer, home cinema, and 3D camera, then the Apple Vision Pro is certainly appealing. It could also become the gold standard for watching movies and your favorite TV shows.
However, if you’d rather buy a headset that can deliver the very best VR games and also has the functionality to provide productivity solutions and entertainment, the price of the Meta Quest 3 makes it a seriously tempting option.
Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg even addressed the Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3 debate head-on in a candid video. Filmed on the Meta Quest 3’s full color passthrough, Zuckerberg says the Meta Quest 3 is “the better product, period”.
Last updated: February 14, 2024