Is Meta Quest 3 worth it?

Virtual reality has actually been around for decades — even in its most recent iteration, it’s been a long time since the likes of Palmer Luckey founded Oculus, then sold it to Facebook, and then went on to make weapons systems .

The Oculus Dev Kit 1 is now the granddaddy of all Meta headsets today, and you could even say it’s the granddaddy of most of the headsets we have today. It launched in March 2013, followed shortly after by the DK2 (Development Kit 2), which was actually the first VR headset I ever owned. Things weren’t that simple back then, you needed to place cameras around the room for tracking and the required wiring and ports were a huge pain, but when the Oculus Rift came out I still bought it and went on to play hundreds of hours of simulations Racers and elite danger are among them.

Along the way, I also owned a Quest 1 and Quest 2, but quickly sold them because neither could match the experience I had with the original Rift. So anyway, the upshot is that I think I’m qualified to tell you whether I think Meta Quest 3 is worth it.

Anyway. Yes. Yes.

Now you can read through there and go buy one if you like, but if you can spare a little more time let’s look at why, it occurred to me after selling my original two pairs of Quest headphones and barely using them Quest 3 deserves a shout-out. I did.

Even in this day and age, with this kit costing around $500, this is not a cheap kit. I think, by comparison, my original Rift cost around £250 at the time, so that’s the expense to factor in here. During the last holiday season, the headset outsold PSVR sales by 30 to 1, and it looks like a lot of people are ready to plunk down their cash.

What to expect out of the box

First, let’s look at the traditional shortcomings of most VR headsets, current and past, and then see how Meta Quest 3 attempts to solve most of them. It still comes with some caveats, and to fix many of these issues would require spending more money on a third-party device, because what comes with this headset is almost unacceptable. After all, it’s not the actual technology you need to fix but some quality-of-life bits and pieces, but more on that later.

First, the Quest 3 comes with a strap that’s basically only meant to be taken off and thrown away. Of course, if you want to share your headphones, the amount of fiddling you do can quickly become tiresome. Additionally, the way it holds the headphones puts pressure on your head, which can quickly become uncomfortable. Out of the box, you’re somewhat deprived of the best Quest 3 experience.

Next, battery life. If you’re gaming, the Quest’s battery will probably last between one and an hour and a half. Also, if you’re watching a movie, you might want to take some time off to recharge. You can charge while in use, but the included USB-C cable is very short and I don’t recommend using Amazon’s third-party cheap cables, so that’s not ideal either.

The solution to these problems is to purchase one of the many replacement headbands on the market. We recommend the BoboVR M3 Pro, which not only comes with a great strap, but also has a built-in external battery that you can magnetically attach to the strap during gameplay, doubling your gaming time. You can also buy extra batteries so you can live in VR forever. Who wouldn’t want to do this?

Finally, VR’s old nemesis is motion sickness. Some people just feel hierarchical in virtual reality. I’ve certainly never experienced VR sickness, but I know people who have been knocked out by it for a day or more at times. I don’t know how your brain works, but if you’re new to gaming, try getting your VR legs to get a seated experience first instead of thrashing around and making yourself sick.

Now let’s look at some of the advantages.

Best things to do on Meta Quest 3

There’s a lot you can do with Meta Quest 3, whether it’s hanging out in social areas like Meta Horizons with friends you already know or have met in VR. Sure, there are a lot of places with kids running around like crazy, but once you find a place where adults like to relax, you can meet some cool people and chat all night long.

If you’re so inclined, apps like Bigscreen allow strangers to watch movies together in a virtual cinema, which can be fun, and watching 3D movies on the big screen of your headphones will never get old.

Air Connecting to your PC and using Google Earth with SteamVR is one of my favorite things to do. I spent hours reminiscing about old holidays in Old Town Ireland with my parents and family. It was truly a moving experience. Seeing all the buildings and houses in 3D from above is sure to put a smile on your face.

Best Games on Meta Quest 3

Some oldies are still best for showing off your headphones. Games like Beat Saber, especially with the new Daft Punk pack, are cool, but if you’re someone who likes to sweat a little and like a little quieter stuff, Walkabout Mini Golf is definitely a hit. It offers tons of clever mini golf courses that are very realistic and full of fun.

If you’re looking for mixed reality (like you can play games in your own environment using a pass-through camera), check out Demeo, a 3D tabletop board game that you can sit down and play anywhere in your lounge room. Just like the real thing is in front of you. Great mechanics and fun to play.

PCVR on Quest 3

That’s probably why I think Quest 3 isn’t as much of a throwback as its older brother. Meta finally managed to get PCVR to work well enough over cable and even Air Link, allowing me to play my PC library on the Quest on the other side of the house. The Virtual Desktop app is really helpful here, serving as a game launcher, and I played games like Beat Saber, Superhot, and Project Cars completely untethered, even though they were Rift and not Quest versions games – my computer is literally streaming them directly into my face.

The best experience with Quest 3

There are a lot of great experiences with Quest 3 – just browse in the TV section to find some exciting VR videos for beginners. You’re sure to find something you like.

If you’re looking for a downloadable app, check out Wander – it’s the closest thing to standalone Google Earth you’ll get on a headset. It still uses Street View and has a cool interface as well as several in-depth museum tours.

Space Titans has been one of my favorite VR experiences since its launch on the original Oculus Rift. This is great if you love space and want to learn about the solar system. This is a great app to show to any kid and wow them.

notes: None of the screenshots above are representative of what you’ll see on your own Quest 3. believe us.

Meta Quest 3 passthrough is grainy – how to fix it

One of the coolest things about the Meta Quest 3 is its excellent pass-through camera. While Quest 2’s time-travel experience is like watching a crime from the ’90s on CCTV, Meta Quest 3’s cameras can be nearly perfect given the right conditions.

The pass-through effect in a well-lit room is excellent, especially during the day. When the quantity or quality of light is low, things start to look grainy.

Some people complained that their Quest 3 playthroughs were grainy anyway. While there’s no evidence that some headphones aren’t faulty, the quality of some of the videos on YouTube is stunning and should be taken with a grain of salt.

Some people have suggested a hard reset, saying pass-through cameras are much better after that, and even suggested that the Quest 3 might calibrate them when you first set it up.

However, the 63 version of the software seems to have fixed the issue for many people, while those who have received the v64 version currently rolling out are reporting more improvements in passthrough. So if you think there’s an issue, your first step is to make sure your headphones are updated to the latest software available for your account.

How much does Meta Task 3 cost?

The Quest 3 is Meta’s most expensive “consumer” headset. The Quest Pro is more expensive, but you certainly don’t need to buy it now because the Quest 3 can more than handle what you throw at it.

The Meta Quest 3 comes in two models, the only difference being the size of the onboard storage. The cheapest one has 128GB of storage and costs $499.99/£479.99.

The second model has 512GB of storage and costs $649.99/£619.99

Obviously, more storage means you can fit more stuff in, so go for more storage if you can, but most Quest games are pretty small, and we’re not talking about Call of Duty-sized downloads here .

How to watch Meta Quest 3 on TV

The inherent problem with VR being social and playing with people around the world is that once you put on the headset and have fun, none of your friends in the room can see what you’re doing.

Luckily, you can cast what you see on the Quest to another external device, letting others see how messed up you are.

You’ll need to plug something like a Chromecast device into one of the HDMI ports on your TV and then press the Meta button on the right controller, where you can select the Cast icon in the pop-up box and select your device from there.

If you don’t have a way to stream directly to the big screen, you can download the Meta Quest app on your phone and cast directly to the SP, where people can see what you see in the headset, albeit not in 3D.

in conclusion

We’ll tell you right from the start that you don’t need to look too far to find out whether we recommend the Quest 3. It’s an easy choice. We do. It’s not as cheap as previous models, and annoyances like a terrible headband mean you may have to pay extra, but once you get it set up the way you like it, it’s a great VR device. Not many VR headsets allow you to start using them right out of the box. Meta’s software and user interface are constantly being refined, but overall, it works, and that’s what we want from technology.

Meta has also recently brought spatial video support to Quest, so all the beautiful 3D home movie content Apple is promoting on Vision Pro can now be shot on iPhone 15 and uploaded directly to Quest 3, which is great for keeping those families connected Very cool future memories.

The Quest 3 is already a great piece of hardware that’s been being enhanced with updates, and it’s likely to be even better this time next year. I’d be surprised if you sent this back.