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The Meta Quest 3 is now out, and naturally VR fans may wonder whether it's bringing significant improvements over its predecessor - the widely popular Quest 2 - and what those are, so it's time for a comparison.
Quest 3 vs Quest 2 differences in a nutshell:
Higher display resolution on the Quest 3
120Hz refresh rate by default on the Quest 3
2 extra cameras and a depth sensor on the Quest 3
Faster processor and more RAM (12GB) on the Quest 3
Double the storage on the Quest 3
Color passthrough and new mixed reality features on the Quest 3
The Quest 3 is redesigned, thinner and lighter
Far more controllers on the Quest 3, no more bulky plastic rings
Meta's latest VR headset, the Meta Quest 3, is currently available for preorder at Best Buy. This is the 128GB configuration of the VR headset. Asguard's Wrath II included.
Pre-order Meta's latest XR headset: the Quest 3, with exceptional AR capabilities and best-in-market graphical fidelity! Amazon is offering pre-orders right now and the Quest 3 can ship as early as October 10!
The Meta Quest 3 was officially unveiled company's Connect 2023 event on September 27, and released on October 10, 2023.
As for its price, unsurprisingly the Quest 3 is more expensive than its predecessor. It costs $499.99 for the model with 128GB of storage, and $649.99 for the 512GB variant.
The Meta Quest 2 (formerly Oculus Quest 2) was released back in 2020, on October 13. Its price started at $399.99 for the base 128GB model, going up to $499.99 for the 256GB storage model. However, after its successor came out, the Quest 2 has been discounted all the way down to $199; check out the best Meta Quest 2 deals for more info on that.
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Design-wise the Meta Quest 3 is quite different than its predecessor, while retaining the ski goggles look. The head straps remains very similar - thin, adjustable, with Velcro strips at the end of the overhead strap.
However, the Quest 3 headset is also thinner (but a bit heavier), plus now has a depth sensor, 6 cameras as opposed to 4, and three signature, pill-shaped elements at the center. The face cover has also been changed, now with a (potentially less skin-irritating) mesh material on the outside. It still leaves a red mark on your face, unfortunately.
On its bottom side, the Quest 3 also sports a charging dock connector, so it's compatible with its own official charging dock, sold separately, for convenience. Users now have the option to, say, have a dock near their nightstand and simply place the headset on it to charge, as opposed to reaching for cables and fishing for the tiny USB Type-C plug. However, USB-C charging also remains available.
Meta Quest 2 with a Kiwi Elite Strap
As for the Meta Quest 2, that one is starting to look a lot more clean and minimalist in comparison. Its design is all plastic (the good kind, not the cheap kind), and it weighs around 500 grams when strapped to the user's face. It's not exactly heavy, but there's definitely room for making it lighter and more comfortable for long-term VR sessions.
It does not have a charging dock on the bottom, like the Quest 3 will, but it does feature a USB Type-C port, as well as all the other elements the two headsets will share - volume keys, a power key, two stereo speakers, and cameras. Only 4 on the Quest 2, though, and no depth sensor either.
Overall, while it may seem a bit bland to some, the minimalist design of the Quest 2 has been fantastic, and holds up reasonably well even close to 3 years later. But here's hoping the Quest 3 will be even more durable in the long-run.
Display and IPD
The Quest 2 can switch between three IPD modes
Good news for Quest fans - the Quest 3 will feature notable display improvements over the Quest 2.
Its resolution is now an impressive 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye, which is quite a bit higher than its predecessor's 1832-by-1920 pixels per eye.
Both headsets support 120Hz refresh rate, although neither uses that by default, instead being set to 90Hz by default.
The Quest 3 introduces a more intricate method of fine-tuning the IPD (Inter Pupillary Distance), using an IPD adjustment wheel located on the bottom left side of the headset. Whereas the Quest 2's IPD can be adjusted by snapping its lenses into 3 different fixed positions, making it far more limiting.
Speaking of the IPD, the Quest 3 supports a higher IPD range than the Quest 2's 58-68 mm - and it is 53-75, so the Quest 3 is likely to provide a comfortable viewing experience to far more people than its predecessor.
When we tried both headsets side-by-side, we noticed an immediate difference in quality, in favor of the Quest 3. It's far sharper, with no more blurring or rainbow effects at the edges of our field of view, thanks to its new lenses, and its new color passthrough makes a world of difference on its own.
Performance and software
Web browsing and multitasking on the Quest 2
The Quest 3 performs better than the Quest 2, as it features a newer Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor and 12GB of RAM, as opposed to only 6GB on the Quest 2. More RAM means quicker app management, being able to keep more apps running in the background, and thus - even better multitasking. To be fair, though, the Quest 2 is already a champ when it comes to loading games quickly or multi-window multitasking, and hasn't really showed any signs of struggling to keep up.
On the software side, the Quest 3 is running identical software, with an identical user interface, as the Quest 2; again based on Android. However, as time goes on, we can expect more and more updates to add features exclusive to the Quest 3, especially if they're related to passthrough.
Ultimately, you can expect mostly the same experience (but quicker and smoother on the Quest 3). In addition, the two headsets support the exact same library of games and apps, available for purchase or free download on the Oculus Quest Store. However, that last one won't be for long. Games that are exclusive to the Quest 3, and won't make it to Quest 2 owners, are already getting announced, and we expect this trend to grow with time.
Passthrough, AirLink and other features
Fans of passthrough, which lets you see the world around you while using your Quest, will be happy to know that the Quest 3 finally brings color passthrough! For those who don't know, passthrough on the older Quest 2 is in grainy monochrome, so there was definitely room for improvement there.
And since passthrough essentially turns the Quest into an AR (augmented reality) headset, and not only that, but the Quest 3 has a depth sensor especially for mixed reality features, we can reasonably expect to be able to do some exciting new things with it. While remaining a VR headset at its core, the Quest 3 will clearly get a stronger push towards mixed reality, and we've already been seeing it with recent updates, and newly-announced games and experiences.
As for many people's top favorite Quest feature - AirLink - it returns on the Quest 3, and in theory should could be more reliable than on the Quest 2, due to the former having faster Wi-Fi speeds. In addition to AirLink, the wired Quest Link, which requires a special (and expensive) Link Cable, also remains an option for those who wish to use their Quest for PC VR gaming, not just as a standalone VR headset. Same goes for Virtual Desktop and Steam Link - they're available on both the Quest 2 and Quest 3.
Again, the most exciting new features we get with the Quest 3 are mixed reality-related, thanks to its higher specs and color passthrough. And for anyone wondering - nope, the Quest 3 didn't get eye tracking. That's only available on the Quest Pro, still.
Controllers
Official Quest 3 promo image showing its new controllers
The Quest 3 controllers are identical to the Quest 2 controllers, except for not having the huge plastic rings that served to hold tracking sensors on the latter. This makes the Quest 3 controllers far more compact. They still charge with a single AA battery like the Quest 2 controllers, but the Quest 3 ones have a much easier way to pop out the battery lid by just pressing a button.
The Quest 2 controllers
As for the Quest 2 controllers, they are larger in design, do also use a single AA battery each, to function, and have the big plastic ring, which the Quest 3's controllers have dropped. We also have wrist lanyards on both Quest 2 and Quest 3 controllers, which the user can hook to their wrists as to not throw or drop the controllers while playing a physically-intensive VR game like Beat Saber.
Audio quality
The Quest 3 retains a headphone jack, and impressive stereo speakers. We get reasonably loud sound, seemingly identical, if not slightly improved over the Quest 2.
Meanwhile the Quest 2 also has stereo speakers, which too sound pretty fantastic, especially considering neither headset provides any in-ear seal.
Comparing them side-by-side, we don't really hear a notable difference, so this isn't an aspect worth upgrading for.
Battery life and charging
While we've established that the Quest 3 has a new charging pin connector for "wireless" (sort of, or at least "wire-free") charging, in addition to its USB Type-C port for traditional wired charging, its battery is technically larger than the Quest 2 also. Despite that, and despite its faster processor, higher-res and refresh rate display, the Quest 3's battery life is pretty much on par with what a new Quest 2 (without battery degradation) delivers, in our experience. That means about 3 hours of gaming, although this number will vary depending on the game, screen brightness, volume, etc.
As for our Meta Quest 2, its battery lasts anywhere between 1.5 hours and 2 hours now, years later, after clear degradation over time. It too lasted about 3 hours new, though.
And while that may not sound long for other types of wearable devices (or smartphones), it is more than reasonable for a standalone, untethered VR headset. And lets face it, your eyes will need a break after 2 hours of VR gaming anyway.
While the Quest 2 doesn't have a charging pin connector for convenient wire-free charging, it charges via its USB Type-C port just like any Android smartphone. Charging it to 100% can take anywhere between 2 and 2.5 hours, so it's not exactly charging quickly, so here's hoping the Quest 3 has faster charging, if not a larger battery.
Quest 3 vs Quest 2 specs comparison
Specs
Quest 3
Quest 2
Display resolution
2064-by-2218 pixels per eye
1832-by-1920 pixels per eye
Display technology
LCD, single display
LCD, single display
Display peak brightness
100 nits
100 nits
Refresh rate
up to 120Hz, 90Hz by default
up to 120Hz, 90Hz by default
IPD range
53-75 mm
56-70mm
Storage options
128GB, 512GB
128GB, 256GB
RAM
12GB
6GB
Processor
Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
Snapdragon XR2
Battery size
4879 mAh
3640 mAh
Battery life
2 - 3 hrs
1.5 - 3 hrs
Charging time
Up to 2 hours
Up to 2.5 hours
Operating system
Meta Horizon OS
Meta Horizon OS
Weight
515 grams
501 grams
Cameras and sensors
6 cameras 1 depth sensor
4 cameras
Sound
Stereo speakers Positional audio 3.5mm headphone jack
Stereo speakers Positional audio 3.5mm headphone jack
Controller battery
Replaceable AA Non-rechargeable
Replaceable AA Non-rechargeable
Announcement date
September, 2023
September 16, 2020
Release date
October 10, 2023
October 13, 2020
Price
Starts at $199.99
Starts at $199.99
Summary and final verdict
In conclusion, as we said in our Meta Quest 3 review, it's well worth upgrading to. It is a significant improvement over the already-excellent Quest 2VR headset. With color passthrough, nearly double the screen resolution, new lenses that don't distort near the edges of the user's vision or create odd rainbow effects, more compact controllers, and pretty soon - exclusive games.
Still, the Quest 2 remains a popular VR headset in 2024, and for good reason. It's now extremely affordable, while still able to play all of the most popular Quest games out there, in addition to PCVR games, like a champ.
Rado, a tech enthusiast with a love for mobile devices, brings his passion for Android and iPadOS to PhoneArena. His tech journey began with MP3 players and has evolved to include tinkering with Android tablets and iPads, even running Linux and Windows 95 on them. Beyond tech, Rado is a published author, music producer, and PC game developer. His professional work on iPads, from producing songs to editing videos, showcases his belief in their capabilities. Rado looks forward to the future of mobile tech, particularly in augmented reality and multi-screen smartphones.
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