Apple is expected to release its new mixed reality headset this week. However, some experts say that Meta could potentially attract more users with its new Quest 3. The Quest 3 offers a lower price and an established user base. The Meta Quest 3 with controllers.
Meta
Don’t count out meta when it comes to virtual reality.
Apple is expected to unveil its new headset this week, which will offer virtual and augmented reality. Meanwhile, Meta has announced its latest Meta Quest 3 device. Experts say Meta could be the winner due to its price advantage and a huge lead in attracting users.
“At $499, the Quest 3 will offer incredible value over Apple’s rumored $2,000+ headset,” said Douglas Sonder, co-founder of mixed reality company eXpanded eXistence, in an email Interview with Lifewire. “Although I have a feeling that many see the Quest platform as an entertainment device, while I anticipate the Apple headset will be a gaming and productivity powerhouse.”
Apple’s expensive mixed reality headset
Apple’s headset is rumored to feature a sleek design, high-resolution displays, advanced sensors and powerful processors. The headset will reportedly cost around $3,000 and will be available later this year.
However, Sonder said the Quest platform is one of the most compact, affordable, and value-for-money offerings on the VR market, especially at a sub-$500 price point.
Rendering of the Apple VR headset.
Ian Zelbo
“We’re happy to recommend the Quest platform for events and customer demos because of the high-quality display, good battery life, and ability to run offline,” he added. “Now it may not be able to play the most powerful graphics-intensive VR games without being connected to a PC, but it can meet most of our medical training and product demonstration needs.”
The Meta Quest 3 alternative
Meta announced its Quest 3 headset last week, apparently in an attempt to steal Apple from the competition. The new model will be 40% slimmer compared to the Quest 2. It will also use the next-gen Snapdragon chipset to power more pixels and reportedly deliver twice the graphics performance of the Quest 2.
Metas Quest 3 could win over some Apple headset users with its richer content and cross-platform compatibility, Varag Gharibjanian, the CEO of Actuate, a tech strategy firm dedicated to mixed reality, pointed out in an email interview with Lifewire.
The Meta Quest 2 with controllers.
Amazon
“Apple is known for being more rigorous with its application market than its competitors,” he added. “For some users who want access to specific apps, it may make sense to buy a Quest 3 instead. Finally, the Quest 3 is more likely to be compatible with third-party PCs and devices.”
Meta’s strong VR community is another plus for Meta, Kuba Jekiel, VR designer and co-founder of Hyperliving Studio, told Lifewire in an email.
“A lot of VR creators have designed their workflows around Quest,” he added. “Those using Quests as PC VR devices might struggle to transition to an entirely new environment with new headsets and operating systems. On the much more common side of casual users, we have an impressive games library with strong communities behind us for whom the transition may also be too big a step.”
The Meta Quest 3 is a big enough upgrade over previous Quest models to keep users from abandoning the platform. Greater quality and performance on external cameras means pass-through mixed reality use cases will be more enjoyable compared to those of other headsets, Gharibjanian said. Thanks to Qualcomm’s adjustments, the Quest 3 has more advanced processors that ensure that the device executes operations faster and processes applications faster.
The Quest 3 headset is expected to feature more capable displays with higher resolutions and frame rates than others in the same price bracket on the market. “This means less nausea and more realistic experiences for users,” Gharibjanian added.
But Sonder said users shouldn’t rush to order a Quest 3. “While the Quest 3 is said to be 40% thinner, almost twice as powerful, and higher resolution than the Quest 2, I’m not sure it will completely revolutionize your VR experience over the previous model,” he added added.
Thanks for the hint!
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