It's been well over six months since I bought a Meta Quest 2, and now that I've
also bought a new Meta Quest 3, I'm going to take you through what sets them apart.
First, let's take a look at what you get with the Meta Quest 3 and
what improvements it makes over the Quest 2.
Coming in at number six, the quest 3's sound is better than the Quest 2's. Both
headsets include speakers on the sides that emit spatial audio for virtual
reality and mixed reality experiences, but the quest 3's sound is just a bit
better. It's fuller and has noticeably less distortion than the quest 2's.
Next up, the number five advantage of the quest 3 is its controllers. Both the quest
3 and the Quest 2 come with controllers, but the quest 2's are a bit more bulky with their
tracking ring. The quest 3 ditches that tracking ring, giving them a more streamlined design,
while retaining the same general layout as the Quest 2.
Coming in at number four is the quest 3's performance. So far,
in the few weeks I've had the quest 3, performance hasn't been a thing I've really
noticed with the Quest 2 games I already have in my library. However, as games become more
optimized for the quest 3's better hardware, I'd expect that you'll see some games really
take advantage of its faster performance and better graphics. So far though, the quest 3's
UI smoothness hasn't been as giant of a leap forward over the quest 2's as I was hoping.
Part of this is due to the Quest 2 continuing to be optimized by Meta.
The other part is just the UI stutters and glitches I've run into on the quest this
mainly happens infrequently when I've got the main UI up and I'm loading a game and
moving around in mixed reality or virtual reality. It can be quite disorienting.
We'll see if Meta is able to smooth some of this out as time goes on with the quest
3. I'll make sure to talk about it in our full 6-month later review,
so make sure you subscribe to the channel if you want to see that video in your feed.
Next, let's talk comfort. That's the number three advantage of the quest 3
headset. While Meta didn't actually make the quest 3 any lighter than the Quest 2 (it's
actually about 12 grams heavier, which you don't really notice when it's on),
they did improve the comfort of the headset experience in other areas.
They included more steps in the eye adjustments, a more comfortable foam,
and they also cut down on how much the headset sticks out in front,
making it less likely that you'll hit the headset with your hand during a game.
And the number two advantage of the quest 3 over the Quest 2 is mixed reality. Before I
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All right, now back to the Quest 3. So, what is mixed reality?
Mixed reality (otherwise known as MR) is a technology that helps blend the
digital world with the real world. It does this by superimposing computer-generated
images on top of the user's view of the real world, creating a composite image.
For example, with MR, you could have a piano player app that puts a UI on top
of your view of a keyboard, helping you to learn how to play the piano.
Or, you could play a game where you see aliens appear in your living room.
The Quest 3 uses color pass-through cameras to
help pipe in your actual physical surroundings into the headset.
How good are the cameras? Well, you can definitely still tell that you're looking at a camera feed.
There's some camera sensor noise and shadows, and some distortion going on where the different
cameras overlap. But what about the Quest 2? Doesn't it have pass-through as well?
Yes, it does have a pass-through mode, but it's not in full color. This headset is
really designed for virtual reality (VR), which completely immerses you in the digital world.
But in VR, you can't see your actual physical surroundings like you can with mixed reality.
Also, I think it's important to note that while the Quest 3 is notable for
its mixed reality experience (because that is what's really new with this headset),
it can also do VR as well. And because of its improved graphics performance, its VR games
should look better than the Quest 2's once games are updated for the Quest 3's better graphics.
Right now, as I record this, I'd say that the mixed reality experiences you can get with a
Quest 3 overall feel more like demos to me (kind of like that piano app I showed you). But there
are several games that have been announced for mixed reality coming up, like Asgard's Wrath
(which comes bundled with the Quest 3) or the new mixed reality Lego game (which looks really cool).
Also, some existing VR games are getting new mixed reality modes,
like the table tennis game for Quest. Being able to see exactly where you're swinging
your arms around certainly makes it less likely that you're going to bang them into anything.
Alright, and coming in at the number one advantage
of the Quest 3 over the Quest 2 is its optics and screens.
Now, even though the Meta Quest 3 has a resolution of 2064 x 2208 (a nearly 30%
increase compared to the Quest 2), it's not a retina display. This means that you can,
in some situations, still make out pixels (or what's known as the screen door effect).
But compared to the Quest 2, the Quest 3's optics and screens are noticeably better.
For example, when you're using the Quest 3 and you accidentally move the headset up or down,
it can often go blurry on you. The sweet spot for
clarity on the Quest 3 is just much better and more forgiving.
The displays also have noticeably better contrast. Stuff looks brighter,
and the blacks are more deep and pronounced.
So, those are all of the advantages of the Quest 3. But what about the Quest 2? Well,
the one and only big advantage of the Quest 2 that it has over the
Quest 3 is its price. And that is a big advantage.
At the time of recording this video, the Quest 2 is back down to retailing for $299
versus $499 for the Quest 3. It's still a pretty great deal in VR, and it can play most of the
VR games you can play on the Quest 3 (though that'll become less and less true over time).
So, which one should you get? Well, for me,
I think that's going to depend on how you answer these two questions:
How long do you plan to keep the headset? How familiar are you with VR?
If you're somewhat or very experienced with VR and/or you plan to keep your headset for
2 years or more, given the sheer amount of improvements you get with the Quest 3,
that's the one I'd recommend going with at this point.
Its newer hardware should age better over time,
and it should also start getting exclusive games as time goes on as well.
But if you're brand new to VR or you want to buy a headset for a
kid who's a bit rough with their tech, then I'd go for the Quest 2.
So, those are my thoughts on the Quest 3 versus the Quest 2. If you think I got it right,
or if you think I got something wrong, let me know down in the comments. And consider
giving this video a thumbs up if you liked it and found it helpful. And consider subscribing
to see more content on new headsets like the Quest 3, as well as other content I've done,
like my 6-month later review of the Quest 2, which you can get to by clicking on the videos above.
For 6 months later, I'm Josh Teder. Thanks for watching!