Virtual reality has certainly experienced a roller coaster of promise in recent years. While the lofty dream of an all-encompassing digital universe has yet to be fully realized, MetaQuest 3 represents a recalibration of Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse vision. It is not a dystopian portrayal of Ready Player One, but rather a reference to basic things like waving your arms, playing immersive games, and watching sports in VR. And honestly, that's perfectly fine.

The Meta Quest 2 was arguably the best VR headset in a market that has since seen the rise of many competitors; released in 2020, the once impressive Gen 1 Snapdragon XR2 is a particularly fancy new headset was starting to feel a bit dated, as it was beginning to feel like an ancient relic against the When we reviewed it, it was still called the Oculus Quest 2, because it was still called the Oculus Quest 2. [The Meta Quest 3 is a significant upgrade from the Quest 2, is more powerful, has a 4K+ pancake lens that makes the game look phenomenal, boasts excellent inside-out tracking, and has a foolproof setup. On top of that, the price is only $500, making it the most affordable VR gaming headset or "mixed reality headset" on the market.

The Quest 3 has a pancake lens with a resolution of 2064 x 2208 per eye, offering refresh rates of up to 120 Hz and a 110-degree FOV. It is powered by Qualcomm's second generation Snapdragon XR2 chip, which provides at least twice the graphics performance of the Quest 2.

The pass-through camera is much better than the previous version (better than the Meta Quest Pro) and provides clearer and higher quality images. Reading text displayed on the phone or monitor is also simpler. Double-tap the side of the headset for a more detailed view of the surroundings.

The depth adjustment button on the inside of the visor is appreciated by those who wear glasses. It allows the visor to be widened so that the glasses are not pressed against the face or the headset lenses.

As for lenses, the Quest 3 uses the same pancake lens as the Quest Pro. This slimmer lens makes the headset about 10 grams heavier than the Quest 2, but with a more streamlined profile. The weight distribution feels more balanced, making the headset more ergonomic. It is a compact, well-made device that does not strain the neck during prolonged use. I especially felt its comfort during a virtual workout; I was able to play games for over an hour without feeling like my head was getting stuck.

There was much talk at Meta Connect about other uses for the headset, including watching movies, sports, and gaming. While it would be nice to be able to virtually sit courtside at a basketball game or take a work call at a virtual desk, most people are here for VR gaming.

Thanks to Meta, we were exposed to new titles such as the first-person roguelike Dungeons of Eternity and an expanded version of the sci-fi adventure Red Matter 2. Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip in the headset is robust enough for many VR games, though not as robust as the RTX 40 series GPUs.

Both of these games look great, and in-game text is crisp and readable thanks to the excellent display resolution; one of the biggest problems with Quest 2 was its lack of power, with games often looking fine but lacking sharp visuals. However, Quest 3 is able to handle large amounts of text on screen, which would have slowed the frame rate on older headsets.

I tried several older Quest 2 games "enhanced for Quest 3," including the rhythm-based shooter Pistol Whip and the creepy sci-fi survival game Into the Radius. Both games benefit from the Quest 3 hardware upgrade, with significantly improved graphics, smoother frame rates, and greatly improved rendering distances. It will be interesting to see over time what other Quest 2 titles receive the enhanced treatment. So far, it looks like just a handful.

The headset supports backward compatibility for all Quest 2 titles. I tried "Vader": wielding a lightsaber in VR is undeniably a kick-ass experience. While there were no graphical improvements, the game loaded faster and the headset was able to track my somewhat disorganized lightsaber shape very well as I flailed around like a tantruming toddler. In short, there are advantages to playing old games on new hardware.

However, like me, most of my VR games are in my Steam library. So the return of Quest Link in Quest 3 is a welcome addition. Initially, I had trouble getting Quest to communicate with my gaming PC. However, this was likely due to pre-release issues. Now that that's been resolved, playing Steam VR games wirelessly with Quest 3 is seamless, and most games run with minimal latency. if you don't have a Wi-Fi connection, the USB-C link cable i've been using is sufficient. Meta offers a new one for $80, but more economical third-party alternatives are also available.

The only annoyance with using SteamVR this way is that you sometimes have to manually adjust the resolution of certain games to ensure compatibility with Meta's headset. So if a game looks blurry or slightly off, you need to check that first.

The new Quest 3 controller has removed the prominent LED tracking ring. I was initially concerned about how this would affect tracking accuracy, but to my relief, I encountered no problems. Tracking was accurate even in games that required more dynamic movements, such as the maraca-wielding dance game "Samba De Amigo." Each controller is powered by a single AA battery, but Meta offers a charging dock that includes rechargeable batteries for $130.

If you prefer, you can use your hands instead of the controllers. While we like the idea of using simple hand gestures like swiping and tapping with your fingers to navigate menus, the Quest 3 sometimes has trouble distinguishing between those gestures.

Battery life in wireless play is just under two hours, consistent with Meta's claims; it fully charges in a couple of hours, and if you don't mind playing while seated, you can connect a USB-C cable and play while charging. Outside of gaming, streaming video and watching sports lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes.

The Quest headset is a favorite of many VR gamers because it is easy to set up. It is completely wireless and requires no base station or tethering to a PC. The entire setup is done via an app on a smartphone. The headset can automatically set up the play space by scanning the room in pass-through mode as well as tracing the boundaries on its own. We tested this in multiple rooms of various sizes and furniture arrangements, and Quest consistently did an excellent job of outlining a safe play area every time. Thanks to a depth sensor between two RGB pass-through cameras on the front of the headset, the headset can detect walls, desks, and corners with impressive accuracy. Initial setup took about 15 minutes, after which the headset was ready to play. The headset remembers the room it has previously entered, but if it is more comfortable, new boundaries can be drawn manually. This flexibility allows users more freedom to set up new play spaces. We tried Lee Mills Bodycombat, which incorporates mixed martial arts moves. However, I set it up on an outside deck to avoid accidentally uppercutting the wall.

One aspect of Quest 3 that I am still skeptical about but would like to try is a mixed reality game where the game overlays content on existing spaces like walls and desks. For example, the upcoming Stranger Things game opens a portal into the living room, but feels more like a VR experience than an actual game.

The Quest 3 comes in 128GB and 512GB versions, priced at $500 and $650 respectively. If, like me, you play most of your VR games on Steam via Quest Link, the 128GB Quest 3 should provide plenty of storage, unless you are keen on recording extensive footage directly on the headset.

At $500, the Quest 3 hits the sweet spot for VR headsets and is a great value package, especially when compared to the more expensive headsets we have reviewed recently. But if you're willing to invest in accessories, the cost is steep; we've already mentioned the $80 link cable and $130 charging dock. A new head strap costs between $50 and $80, and a carrying case is $70. In addition, if magnetic prescription lenses are needed for use without glasses, another cost will be added.

As a simple VR package, however, the Quest 3 strikes a nice balance between performance, comfort, and price. It proves that a kitchen-sink approach to VR headset design is not always necessary, especially for the casual VR gamer, and while we are not yet sold on the future of mixed reality that Meta Quest 3 offers, at least the game looks good and plays really good.