Meta Quest 3 vs Meta Quest 2: Which should you invest in?

Have you finally decided to buy a virtual reality headset?

You’ve got options, be it the mega-popular standalone Meta Quest 2, Sony’s impressive but gaming-centric PlayStation VR2 (which tethers to a PS5 but might receive PC support down the line), and a few entry-level models that require a smartphone to be snapped inside the visor.

Meta is doubling down in the space with the Meta Quest 3, which builds upon its predecessor considerably. But if you’re trying to decide between a Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3, there’s a lot to evaluate.

Price

As you might expect, the three-year-old Meta Quest 2 costs less than the new Meta Quest 3. By a lot, in fact. The Meta Quest 2 sells for $250 for the 128GB version or $300 for the 256GB version, which lets you store twice as many games and other content.

By comparison, the Meta Quest 3 costs $499 for the 128GB version or $649 for the 512GB version (four times the storage capacity). Both include the fantasy role-playing game Asgard’s Wrath II for free, a $59 value according to Meta (available as a digital download by December 2023).

For under $300, the original Meta Quest 2 offers incredible value, especially as there is so much content still available for it.

Our pick: Meta Quest 2

Performance

As for what’s under the hood, there’s quite a technical difference between Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 in almost every department.

The Meta Quest 2 features twin screens with 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye, with up to a 90Hz refresh rate. The Meta Quest 3 ups the resolution to 2064 x 2208 pixels for a more detailed picture, and increases the refresh rate to 120Hz.

Meta calls this its 4K+ Infinite Display, but since it’s so close to your eyes, don’t expect it to be as crystal clear as the 4K TV you may have mounted to your wall. Still, it basically eliminates the “screen door effect” of being able to make out individual pixels.

As for processing power, Meta Quest 2 rocks Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 processor, while the Quest 3 has a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, which allegedly delivers about a 30 percent speed bump and between 2 to 2.5x better graphical performance, according to Meta. Loading and playing games is much faster, they look prettier, and hand tracking is improved. The new headset packs 8GB of system memory (RAM) compared to the Meta Quest 2’s 6GB.

Battery life remains the same for both headsets, maxing out at about 3 hours depending on use. The Meta Quest 3 has better resolution, more power, and increased storage and memory.

Our pick: Meta Quest 3

Features and content library

Both the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 are comfortable standalone headsets, with a healthy (and diverse) app store. Aside from a bump up in resolution and power, the key differences between the Meta Quest 2 and 3 is the latter’s color passthrough capabilities, as evidenced by the cameras and sensors on the front of the new headset.

The Meta Quest 3 isn’t limited to the grainy black-and-white view of the outside world seen through the Meta Quest 2; now you can clearly see and interact with digital information superimposed on top of the world around you. Mixed-reality experiences feel more real than ever.

This includes playing games with objects that seemingly appear on your table or desk or shooting colorful critters hiding behind your furniture or trying to blow holes in your wall. Your play area is now automatically assessed, too, so you don’t need to draw a boundary with your controller.

The Meta Quest 3 is now a proper mixed-reality headset, instead of just a VR headset with Meta Quest 2.

The passthrough isn’t as crisp and seamless as Apple’s Vision Pro, but Apple’s device is also $3,500 compared to the Meta Quest 3’s $500 starting point and requires the light-shielding interface to be custom molded for the user’s face.

There are exclusive games and apps for the Meta Quest 3, including free demos, and all Meta Quest 2 content works on the Quest 3. Meta Quest 2 owners who already spent money on software will still be able to use it. Everyone loves backward compatibility.

Our pick: Meta Quest 3

Comfort and controllers

Having worn a Meta Quest 2 headset for countless hours over the years, it’s not uncomfortable, but the headset can slide a bit near the back, even when the strap is tightened.

With the Meta Quest 3, however, the two-pronged fabric band at the back better balances the headset, so it’s a snugger fit that doesn’t slip, even in intense rounds of Superhot or FitXR.

While the weight difference is negligible—the Meta Quest 2 is a tad lighter at 503 grams over the Meta Quest 3’s 515 grams—the newer headset is about 40 percent smaller.

The two wireless Touch Pro controllers are now a bit smaller and without that large plastic ring around each one but retain a similar grip and feature set. That said, the Meta Quest 3’s controllers now feature haptic feedback, called TruTouch technology. Like the PlayStation VR2, users can now feel slight vibrations in games and other content for that all-important immersion factor.

Our pick: Meta Quest 3

And the winner is… the Meta Quest 3

Price notwithstanding, the Meta Quest 3 is a much better headset than the (still impressive) Meta Quest 2.

Along with better graphics and more power and capacity options, the full-color, mixed-reality passthrough and augmented reality experiences bring this device to a new level. Content will no doubt get better over the coming months and years (if the Meta Quest 2’s legs are any indication) as more developers cater to the device’s enhanced feature set. All current Meta Quest 2 content works on the Meta Quest 3, too, and you’ve now got haptic feedback in the controllers. In other words, the new headset ticks all the boxes.

But cost-conscious gamers and others who want mind-blowing virtual reality experiences won’t be disappointed with the Meta Quest 2, either.

You really can’t go wrong with either, but the Meta Quest 3 is the clear winner.

Meta Quest 3 (128GB)

The Meta Quest 3 is an exciting upgrade over the Quest 2 in every way.

$500 at Amazon