I’ve tested more than 15 VR headsets — but there’s only one I’d recommend buying this Prime Day
I’m not entirely sure it’s fashionable to admit this, but I love virtual reality. Ever since Palmer Luckey re-ignited the scene with the launch of Oculus (now part of Meta) and the Oculus DK1 headset, I’ve been in the trenches of the VR scene, trying every bit of VR hardware I can get my hands on.
Whether working in VR or gaming in VR, I’m an evangelist for the format, and try to convert as many skeptics to the cause as I can, everywhere I go. Here’s my credentials — in a non-exhaustive list, I’ve tested the following:
- Oculus DK1
- Oculus DK 2
- Oculus Quest
- Oculus / Meta Quest 2
- Meta Quest 3
- Oculus Go
- Oculus Rift
- Oculus Rift S
- HP Reverb G2
- PlayStation VR
- PlayStation VR 2
- Google Cardboard
- Samsung Gear
- Apple Vision Pro
- Microsoft HoloLens
- HTC Vive
- HTC Vive Pro
- Valve Index
That’s just off the top of my head, and doesn’t include random trade-show concepts and prototypes, whatever headsets are in use at the many public VR playrooms that I’ve visited over the years, nor the curio gimmick attempts at virtual reality like the weird Nintendo Switch VR kit.
Of all the headsets on the list, it’s the Quest 2 I’ve spent the most time with — but it is its successor, the Meta Quest 3, that is the one I’d recommend to anyone looking to give VR a whirl.
It offers more bang-for-buck than any other VR headset on the market, and thanks to the Amazon Prime Day sale, it’s now at a superb price — the 128GB model is down to just $429.99 — a serious saving over its usual $499.99 asking price.
Lightweight and comfortable for extended play sessions, the Meta Quest 3 is as close to pick-up-and-play as VR gets. A standalone device, it doesn’t require a computer to power, instead running off the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset. That gives it twice the graphical processing grunt over the already-impressive Meta Quest 2, and lets it drive greater-than-4K experiences across its dual screens — 30% sharper than its predecessor.
What separates the Meta Quest 3 from the competition though is its app library. Not only do you have access to more than 500 immersive experiences and games built especially for Meta Quest (including the impressive Asgard’s Wrath 2, Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR and Beat Sabre), but you can also use it to access the many PC VR titles on the market, wirelessly streamed to the headset, massively expanding the available software for the system. That’s before considering the productivity options the Meta Quest 3 offers, with impressive full-color passthrough meaning you’ve good awareness of your surroundings while you work.
Now, I’m hoping by the end of this year I’ll be able to add another VR headset to this list — the Apple Vision Pro (though don’t tell Apple I called its ‘Spatial Computing’ headset a VR device!). It is, without a doubt, the most advanced piece of VR kit I’ve ever tried, with a has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed screen, and the most amazing passthrough and hand-tracking tech I’ve ever used. But! At $3,499, you could buy a Meta Quest 3 many times over for the price of a Vision Pro, and right now, Vision Pro’s app selection just isn’t quite there. With more time, more users following the international roll out, and VisionOS 2 on the way, I’m hoping developers will redress that balance. But for now Apple’s Vision Pro ecosystem has some catching up to do.
In the meantime, the Meta Quest 3 is a remarkable device. And, at its current sale price, it’s offering remarkable value for money, too.
