VISION PRO VS META QUEST 3

DOES APPLE REALLY HAVE THE BEST HEADSET?

- JASON CROSS

Last week, Mark Zuckerberg took to Instagram (fave.co/4a3WD2g) and declared that after trying Apple's Vision Pro, he concluded that the Quest 3 is "better for the vast majority of things that people use mixed reality for." Naturally, nobody should expect Zuck's weird hotel hostage video to have glowing things to say about the competition's headset. He's CEO of Meta Platforms, whose Reality Labs division is losing many billions of dollars a year on R&D, sales, and marketing of Quest headsets. His opinion on this matter is the least trustworthy and most conflicted a person could ever find.

But is he right? Does the Quest 3 do for $500 what the Vision Pro can't at seven times the price? Is it a better overall product for most people, as he says?

After spending quite some time with both headsets, I think he has a point but is also missing some important things. He's right, but not necessarily for the reason he thinks, and maybe not for long. Here's how the Quest 3 compares to the Vision Pro right now, with the obvious caveat that this matchup will change over time as both products continue to evolve.

PRICE AND VALUE

Let's start with the obvious win for the Quest 3: price. It starts at $500, while the Vision Pro starts at $3,500. Obviously one is within reach for millions of potential customers and the other is a luxury item.

But it goes beyond the headset. The Quest 3's accessories are all much more reasonably priced. The carrying case is $70, while Apple's weird "wrinkled marshmallow" case is $199. An upgraded rigid strap is $70, while Apple's straps each cost $99 (though it comes with both).