Key Points
- Apple Vision Pro priced at $3,499, while Meta Quest 3 costs $499.
- Apple Vision Pro has a 2-hour battery life, Meta Quest 3 offers two to three hours.
- Meta Quest 3 will be released on October 10, 2023, Apple Vision Pro in early 2024.
- Apple Vision Pro relies on hand gestures and voice commands, Meta Quest 3 uses controllers.
- Apple Vision Pro has over 23 million pixels, Meta Quest 3 has nine million.
The Apple Vision Pro and the Meta Quest 3 are two of the most highly anticipated headsets in the history of virtual and mixed reality. Despite their shared industry, these two recently announced products couldn’t be more different. In the showdown between Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3, which one wins? Whether you’re an Apple loyalist or a fan of Meta’s VR products, only one headset can emerge victorious. Let’s break down the debate below to determine the winning headset.
- 2x the graphic processing power of Quest 2 with the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
- Mixed reality blends virtual elements and physical space
- 4K+ Infinite display
- 3D audio with enhanced clarity and bass
- Touch Plus controllers deliver a more intuitive experience
- Library of over 500 titles
Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3: Side By Side Comparison
| Aspect | Apple Vision Pro | Meta Quest 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Product Type | Mixed reality headset | Virtual reality headset |
| Developer | Apple Inc. | Reality Labs |
| Release Date | Early 2024 | October 10, 2023 |
| Introductory Price | $3,499 | $499 |
| System-on-a-Chip | Apple M2 Apple R1 | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 |
| Display Type | Micro-OLED | LCD |
| Number of Pixels | Approx. 23 million | Approx. 9 million |
| Controllers | None | Wireless handheld Touch Plus |
| Battery Life | two hours or less | two to three hours |
Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3: What’s the Difference?
Looking beyond the side-by-side comparison above, there are five major differences between the Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3. Getting a better understanding of these differences will help us determine which headset is best. Let’s examine their differences in price, release, development, functionality, and display below.
Price
Apple priced the Vision Pro at $3,499. That’s more than seven times the price of the Meta Quest 3, which will cost $499. If you have an expendable income, then this major pricing difference might not mean much to you. But, for the average consumer, such a drastic price difference is going to make an enormous difference in which product they choose.
Battery Life
After price, is there anything more important to a winning headset than its battery life? The Apple Vision Pro raised eyebrows when it announced a two-hour battery life supplied by an external wired battery pack. That’s not a whole lot of time to enjoy the mixed-reality headset’s capabilities. Even with it wired into a MacBook or other power source, the external power cord might prove to be an annoyance. The Meta Quest 3 isn’t much better by comparison, offering only two to three hours of battery life. Still, even that’s better than two hours or less.
©Apple – License
Release Date
Next, let’s consider how release dates factor into this debate. The Apple Vision Pro releases in early 2024, while the Meta Quest 3 will be released on October 10, 2023. This puts the Meta Quest 3 ahead of the Apple Vision Pro — and ahead of the holidays to boot. Beating Apple by a whole quarter or more, and doing it before the Christmas shopping season? It’s another victory for the Meta Quest 3.
Developer
Now, let’s factor in the difference in developers between the Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3. The former comes from Apple, while the latter comes from Meta’s Reality Labs. Apple has decades of experience as a leader in the tech industry, while Meta (and Oculus, who originally developed the Quest headsets) look like newcomers by comparison. Considering the success of the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more, Apple looks like the superior developer by a long shot.
Functionality
When we talk about functionality, we’re talking about how successfully each headset does what it’s advertised to do. This is harder to judge, as neither product is officially out yet. However, we can see that the Apple Vision Pro will rely on Apple silicon. Conversely, the Meta Quest 3 will use the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2. Additionally, we can see that the Vision Pro won’t need controllers, while the Quest 3 will. These two considerations make the Vision Pro look like a much more functional product overall.
Display
Lastly, how do these two headsets compare in terms of their displays? The Apple Vision Pro has a pair of micro-OLED screens containing more than 23 million pixels in all. The Meta Quest 3, on the other hand, will use two LCD screens for a combined total of just nine million pixels. The Apple Vision Pro has far better display technology.
Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3: 5 Must-Know Facts
- In time, insiders expect the Apple Vision product line to become more affordable. As evidence, the “Pro” name suggests that Apple will introduce cheaper, less feature-loaded versions of the Vision in the future.
- The Apple Vision Pro has a dozen cameras in all. These cameras work together to capture and create 3D photos and videos.
- Reality Labs gave the Meta Quest 3 an extensive overhaul to make the headset 40% slimmer than its predecessor, the Quest 2.
- Apple Vision Pro is equipped with EyeSight, which displays footage of the user’s eyes on an exterior display. It’s supposed to help conversations with others in the room feel more human.
- Meta Quest 3’s redesigned Touch Plus controllers drop the hoops from the front of the controller and introduce live haptics for real-time user feedback.
The History of Apple Vision Pro
The Apple Vision Pro is Apple’s highly anticipated mixed-reality headset. Rumors have been swirling about this headset for years, but Apple didn’t officially confirm it until the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. The Vision Pro serves as Apple’s first major new product line since the Apple Watch in 2015. While it won’t officially release until early 2024, Apple still unveiled plenty of exciting information about the Vision Pro during WWDC ’23.
Unlike the Apple Watch or AirPods, the Vision Pro is a standalone product and does not rely on other Apple devices to function. While it will still seamlessly integrate with other Apple products, it can also operate independently from them. Unique to the Vision Pro, the headset incorporates a new feature called EyeSight. Through the use of two cameras and LEDs, the Vision Pro can display the user’s eyes on the front of the headset. This creates a sense of transparency that helps make interactions with others feel more natural (despite the enormous headset on their face).
Also unique to the Vision Pro is the total reliance on hand gestures and voice commands. The headset has 12 cameras, six microphones, and five sensors that make up for the complete lack of controllers. Four of these cameras are for tracking users’ hands and gestures. Whereas other VR headsets market themselves as gaming and entertainment devices, the Vision Pro instead emphasizes productivity and work. It will be interesting to see how well this marketing strategy catches on upon its launch in 2024. Until then, there’s the Meta Quest 3.
©rafapress/Shutterstock.com
How Meta Quest 3 Compares
The Meta Quest 3 is the third installment in Reality Labs’ line of VR headsets. The headset releases on October 10, 2023, three years after the Quest 2 hit shelves and quickly dominated the VR industry. Despite the success of the Quest 2, the forthcoming Quest 3 has undergone significant improvements over its earlier versions. One notable change is the aforementioned physical redesign. Additionally, the front of the headset now features three oval camera sensors. The back has also revamped the head strap for improved comfort.
On the inside, the Quest 3 boasts a brand-new Snapdragon chipset. This helps the headset deliver enhanced virtual and mixed-reality capabilities. According to the manufacturer, this new system-on-a-chip doubles the performance capabilities of the Quest 2. This new chipset also brings High-Fidelity Color Passthrough to the Quest 3. This feature allows users to see real-world colors around them instead of the traditional monochrome display of previous headsets. It has the potential to be more immersive (not to mention more fun) than any Meta headset thus far.
While it doesn’t quite forego controllers like the Apple Vision Pro, the Quest 3 still comes with redesigned Touch Plus controllers that are more ergonomic than previous models. Plus, they feature TruTouch haptics for live controller feedback. These improvements aim to compete with rival VR controllers from Valve, Sony, and HTC. We’ll be anxious to see if all this will be enough for the Quest 3 to sell (or surpass) as many units as the Quest 2, which is currently the best-selling VR headset of all time.
- Self-contained, no PC required
- 360-degree field of view
- 3D positional audio
- Hand tracking with haptic feedback
- 128GB
Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3: Pros and Cons
| Pros of Apple Vision Pro | Cons of Apple Vision Pro |
|---|---|
| Two Micro-OLED displays | Incredibly expensive introductory price |
| Runs on Apple silicon | An inherently obtrusive device |
| No controllers necessary | Two-hour battery life with external power cord |
| Seamless integration with other Apple products | Releasing after the holidays |
| Pros of Meta Quest 3 | Cons of Meta Quest 3 |
|---|---|
| More affordable than the Apple Vision Pro | Requires use of controllers |
| Better processing power than Quest 2 | Lower screen resolution than Apple Vision Pro |
| Slimmer than Quest 2 | Suffers from same obtrusiveness problem |
| Releasing in time for the holidays | Only 2-3 hours of battery life |
Apple Vision Pro vs. Meta Quest 3: Which One Wins?
The Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3 debate pits two highly anticipated VR against one another. But which one wins? The Meta Quest 3 is a great option for the average consumer. The Meta headset is more affordable, has a better battery life, and releases earlier than the Vision Pro. However, the Apple Vision Pro has superior processing power and better display technology. Plus, it doesn’t require controllers. Objectively speaking, the Apple Vision Pro is our winner. However, the Meta Quest 3 might sell more units because of its lower price and the overall success of the Quest 2.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©iStock.com/Thinkhubstudio.
