It's been well over six months since I
bought a Meta Quest 2, and now that I've also bought a new Meta Quest 3, I'm going
to take you through what sets them apart. First, let's take a look at what
you get with the Meta Quest 3 and what improvements it makes over the Quest 2. Coming in at number six, the quest 3's
sound is better than the Quest 2's. Both headsets include speakers on the sides
that emit spatial audio for virtual reality and mixed reality experiences,
but the quest 3's sound is just a bit better. It's fuller and has noticeably
less distortion than the quest 2's. Next up, the number five advantage of the
quest 3 is its controllers. Both the quest 3 and the Quest 2 come with controllers, but
the quest 2's are a bit more bulky with their tracking ring. The quest 3 ditches that tracking
ring, giving them a more streamlined design, while retaining the same
general layout as the Quest 2. Coming in at number four is the
quest 3's performance. So far, in the few weeks I've had the quest 3,
performance hasn't been a thing I've really noticed with the Quest 2 games I already have
in my library. However, as games become more optimized for the quest 3's better hardware,
I'd expect that you'll see some games really take advantage of its faster performance and
better graphics. So far though, the quest 3's UI smoothness hasn't been as giant of a leap
forward over the quest 2's as I was hoping. Part of this is due to the Quest 2
continuing to be optimized by Meta. The other part is just the UI stutters and
glitches I've run into on the quest this mainly happens infrequently when I've got
the main UI up and I'm loading a game and moving around in mixed reality or virtual
reality. It can be quite disorienting. We'll see if Meta is able to smooth some
of this out as time goes on with the quest 3. I'll make sure to talk about it
in our full 6-month later review, so make sure you subscribe to the channel
if you want to see that video in your feed. Next, let's talk comfort. That's the
number three advantage of the quest 3 headset. While Meta didn't actually make the
quest 3 any lighter than the Quest 2 (it's actually about 12 grams heavier, which
you don't really notice when it's on), they did improve the comfort of the
headset experience in other areas. They included more steps in the eye
adjustments, a more comfortable foam, and they also cut down on how much
the headset sticks out in front, making it less likely that you'll hit
the headset with your hand during a game. And the number two advantage of the quest 3
over the Quest 2 is mixed reality. Before I tell you all about it, if you like really
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can enjoy the freedom of not having to vacuum. All right, now back to the Quest
3. So, what is mixed reality? Mixed reality (otherwise known as MR)
is a technology that helps blend the digital world with the real world. It does
this by superimposing computer-generated images on top of the user's view of the
real world, creating a composite image. For example, with MR, you could have a
piano player app that puts a UI on top of your view of a keyboard, helping
you to learn how to play the piano. Or, you could play a game where you
see aliens appear in your living room. The Quest 3 uses color pass-through cameras to help pipe in your actual physical
surroundings into the headset. How good are the cameras? Well, you can definitely
still tell that you're looking at a camera feed. There's some camera sensor noise and shadows,
and some distortion going on where the different cameras overlap. But what about the Quest
2? Doesn't it have pass-through as well? Yes, it does have a pass-through mode, but
it's not in full color. This headset is really designed for virtual reality (VR), which
completely immerses you in the digital world. But in VR, you can't see your actual physical
surroundings like you can with mixed reality. Also, I think it's important to note
that while the Quest 3 is notable for its mixed reality experience (because that
is what's really new with this headset), it can also do VR as well. And because of its
improved graphics performance, its VR games should look better than the Quest 2's once games
are updated for the Quest 3's better graphics. Right now, as I record this, I'd say that the
mixed reality experiences you can get with a Quest 3 overall feel more like demos to me (kind
of like that piano app I showed you). But there are several games that have been announced for
mixed reality coming up, like Asgard's Wrath (which comes bundled with the Quest 3) or the new
mixed reality Lego game (which looks really cool). Also, some existing VR games are
getting new mixed reality modes, like the table tennis game for Quest. Being
able to see exactly where you're swinging your arms around certainly makes it less likely
that you're going to bang them into anything. Alright, and coming in at the number one advantage of the Quest 3 over the Quest
2 is its optics and screens. Now, even though the Meta Quest 3 has a
resolution of 2064 x 2208 (a nearly 30% increase compared to the Quest 2), it's not
a retina display. This means that you can, in some situations, still make out pixels
(or what's known as the screen door effect). But compared to the Quest 2, the Quest 3's
optics and screens are noticeably better. For example, when you're using the Quest 3 and
you accidentally move the headset up or down, it can often go blurry on you. The sweet spot for clarity on the Quest 3 is just
much better and more forgiving. The displays also have noticeably
better contrast. Stuff looks brighter, and the blacks are more deep and pronounced. So, those are all of the advantages of the
Quest 3. But what about the Quest 2? Well, the one and only big advantage of
the Quest 2 that it has over the Quest 3 is its price. And that is a big advantage. At the time of recording this video, the
Quest 2 is back down to retailing for $299 versus $499 for the Quest 3. It's still a pretty
great deal in VR, and it can play most of the VR games you can play on the Quest 3 (though
that'll become less and less true over time). So, which one should you get? Well, for me, I think that's going to depend on
how you answer these two questions: How long do you plan to keep the headset?
How familiar are you with VR? If you're somewhat or very experienced with
VR and/or you plan to keep your headset for 2 years or more, given the sheer amount
of improvements you get with the Quest 3, that's the one I'd recommend
going with at this point. Its newer hardware should age better over time, and it should also start getting
exclusive games as time goes on as well. But if you're brand new to VR or
you want to buy a headset for a kid who's a bit rough with their
tech, then I'd go for the Quest 2. So, those are my thoughts on the Quest 3 versus
the Quest 2. If you think I got it right, or if you think I got something wrong, let
me know down in the comments. And consider giving this video a thumbs up if you liked it
and found it helpful. And consider subscribing to see more content on new headsets like the
Quest 3, as well as other content I've done, like my 6-month later review of the Quest 2, which
you can get to by clicking on the videos above. For 6 months later, I'm Josh
Teder. Thanks for watching!
