Meta Quest 3 (L) and Quest Pro (R)
Andrew Williams
The Meta line-up of Quest VR headsets is a little confusing. There’s the classic Quest 2, the newest Quest 3 and the impressive-sounding Quest Pro.
There’s a straight ramp-up in price across those three. But the quality of experience you get? That’s different.
The Quest 3 is better than the Quest Pro in some areas, despite costing significantly less. You need to get to grips with the pros and cons before deciding which to buy. I’ve spent the last couple of months jumping between the two, and find the Meta Quest 3 to be the best buy for most people.
This is not a simple battle, though. Here’s why.
Design and Comfort: Quest Pro wins
The 2022 Quest Pro gets a head start with design and comfort. It looks slicker than the Quest 3, decked out in glossy black to convey a sense of seriousness.
And where the Quest 3 has a basic set of elasticated straps to keep the headset on your head, the Quest Pro effectively has a built-in Elite strap. It’s much better. Official versions of the same concept for Quest 3 cost around $70, so make sure to consider that when totting up the cost of each headset.
Meta Quest 3 and Quest Pro
Andrew Williams
If you are likely to become a keen VR fan, you will want to upgrade the Meta Quest 3 strap. However, good, cheaper third-party solutions are available too.
Some will end up wanting another Quest Pro accessory, though. This headset is not made to fully block your peripheral vision, with removable occlusion pads to the left and right but not below, around your cheeks. I find it pretty easy to ignore this peripheral ambient space, but hardcore VR immersion heads may not.
Price: Quest 3 more affordable despite the price drop
The Quest Pro costs around twice as much as the Quest 3. It’s $999 for the Pro, $499 for the Quest 3.
It’s not quite as simple as that, though, as the Quest Pro has 256GB storage, the base Quest 3 128GB. A jump to the 512GB Quest 3 will set you back $649.
You’re also more likely to see discounted Quest Pros online than Quest 3s, due to its age. The headset also cost $1500 originally, and there are cogent reasons it cost so much at launch, which I’ll get to.
Performance: Quest 3, hands down
Some comparison of these headsets found online focus on the amount of RAM they have. The Quest 3 has 8GB RAM, the Quest Pro 12GB RAM. So Pro wins? Not quite.
There’s a very significant gap between their CPU and GPU performance, and this one lands in the Quest 3’s favor. The Quest Pro has the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+, the Quest 3 a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2.
Meta Quest 3 and Quest Pro
Andrew Williams
They sound similar, but where the XR2+ uses the same GPU family as the Snapdragon 865 phone processor from 2019. The Quest 3’s XR2 Gen 2 uses the Adreno 740 class GPU seen in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a phone GPU announced in 2022.
The headline figure is the GPU is up to 2.5x more powerful. And it has made Quest 3 graphical upgrades in games possible, including better textures and less loss of resolution and clarity in the backgrounds of scenes in key games. The Quest Pro doesn’t get these upgrades.
Visual quality: It’s an ongoing battle
Opinions on which is the winner here, visual quality, will vary. Using apps and games made for Quest, the Quest 3 takes the win thanks to the potential for higher-quality graphics. But from a purely technical perspective, each has an advantage.
The Meta Quest 3 uses noticeably higher-resolution displays, with 2,064 x 2,208 pixels per eye to the Quest Pro’s 1,800 x 1,920.
Quest 3 and Quest Pro lenses
Andrew Williams
The Quest Pro has somewhat sharper lenses, deeper colour reproduction and, the strongest part, local dimming thanks to its miniLED screens. This means parts of the screen can dim down to improve contrast.
I find this quite noticeable in darker games and apps. Through the Quest 3 you can always see where the display ends and the surround begins, even in near-black scenes, thanks to the glow of the LCD panel. The Quest Pro can get rid of this, removing the “porthole” effect and letting the display more successfully blend with the surround at times.
Passthrough: Quest 3 wins
Both of these headsets have color passthrough, enabling compelling mixed reality experiences. However, use them side by side and you’ll see the Meta Quest 3’s view of the outside world is superior.
Meta Quest 3 and Quest Pro
Andrew Williams
There’s slightly more detail — Meta claims 3X the detail, but it doesn’t come across as such in person — and the image has much less noise.
Neither headset is a true passthrough marvel, though. To read anything you have to get up close, and in the average room the cameras struggle to keep up due to limited light levels. It leads to a splotchy, low-detail image.
Features: Advantage Quest Pro
The Quest Pro has some important features missing in the Quest 3, no doubt left out because it was not feasible to do so in a mainstream headset, budget-wise. First, there’s eye tracking. The Quest Pro can work out where you are looking, and use that information like the input of a cursor.
This is actually barely used across the Quest experience, though, not helped by the fact the Quest 3 and Quest 2 do not have eye tracking. Great feature, less-than-great real-world impact so far.
Quest 3 and Quest Pro
Andrew Williams
The Quest Pro also has very different controllers. They are more advanced, and more weighty, than the Quest 3’s. And they have their own cameras for tracking, meaning their position can far more successfully be held onto when moved (for example) above your head. The standard Quest controllers are tracked using the headset, and are easily lost when out of view.
These Pro controllers also have much more refined haptic vibration feedback, and they use an integrated rechargeable battery, not just an AA. Are they hugely better? Not really, as they have tracking issues of their own thanks to the use of cameras. But they sure do add to the cost, at $300 a pair bought solo.
Battery life: Quest 3 for convenience
These two headsets do not last a long time when playing a challenging 3D game. You can expect two hours per charge with either.
Quest 3 and Quest Pro controllers
Andrew Williams
However, the battery life of the Quest 3 controllers is much better. You can expect a good AA battery to last at least a couple of weeks before needing a replacement (or recharge). The Quest Pro’s last around eight hours.
It’s a little like comparing get an Xbox Series controller to a PlayStation 5 DualSense, which doesn’t last nearly as long. Still, the Quest Pro does include a neat charging dock so this will be a non-issue for the more organized among you.
Bottom Line
The Quest Pro was the more ambitious headset at launch. But time flies in the world of mobile tech, and the newer Quest 3 is the better buy for most, particularly if you will indulge more in “made for Quest” experiences rather than tethering to a PC the whole time. In that case, you might appreciate the improved contrast and colour of the Pro more.
Follow me on Twitter.
Maria Malik is your guide to the immersive world of Virtual Reality (VR). With a passion for VR technology, she explores the latest VR headsets, applications, and experiences, providing readers with in-depth reviews, industry insights, and a glimpse into the future of virtual experiences.
