For Review today is the Meta Quest 3 (formerly Oculus) VR headset. This was purchased at full price and you can get one with 128GB of memory or 512GB of memory.

Pros: Wireless
    Awesome VR Experience
    3D Surround Sound
    Excellent Controller and Hand Tracking
    Comfortable
    Fast
    Color Augmented Reality

Mediocre: Replaceable Parts
    Controller Battery Lasts a Long Time, but Uses AA
    Weight/Price 

BULL: Headset Battery Life
    Stock Headband
    Stock Face Pad

BLUF: The Quest 3 is probably the best VR headset on the market, combining a decent price with excellent controls, Augmented Reality, great screens, decent weight, and comfort in one. It is only let down by some stock parts, and batteries.

The Meta Quest 3 is the newest VR headset from Meta following the successful Quest 2 and the less successful, but more premium Quest Pro. The Quest 3 brings a lot of the technology from the Quest Pro down to a cheaper level. It loses the $300 Quest Pro controllers which has self-tracking cameras and a Stylus tip, but enables better feedback and a more responsive feel to the Quest 3 controllers. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything by not having the Quest Pro controllers, though the Quest 3 controllers can occasionally get a little lost when doing a High-Intensity boxing workout on Supernatural.

The Quest 3 comes in a nicely appointed box with two controllers, a USB-C charge cable and power adapter, 2x Quest 3 controllers, and the Quest 3 headset with a fabric face pad and an elastic headband. Let’s get the bad part out of the way immediately, the face pad and headband need to be replaced immediately if you play on doing anything more than sitting down. The stock face pad collects sweat like a sponge and the stock headband doesn’t tighten well and pulls on your hair when tightening. Additionally, the stock headband puts all of the weight from the headset on your face. Additionally, the headset itself only has about 1-1.5 hours of battery life when doing something graphically simple like Supernatural. You want a battery attached to the Quest 3 as soon as possible. I’ve already been through several options to find the best one and I recommend the BINBOK VR T3 Battery Head Strap for Meta Quest 3. Not only does this have a really comfortable strap that you can ratchet down like the PSVR/PSVR2, but it also has a detachable battery you can charge separately or with the Quest 3 by plugging the battery in first, then attaching it to the Quest. It easily adds 2+ hours of battery life to the Quest 3 and it is worth the $60. I’ve tried rechargeable batteries and a controller charger, but it wasn’t very good. I recommend just getting a HiCap rechargeable AA and swapping them out when they drain. I’m using the EBL Rechargeable AA Batteries 4 Pack, but any rechargeable AA will do. Oh, and I’m actually using the official Meta Quest 3 Silicone Face Pad, but you can use much cheaper ones like this one: 3PCS Face Pad. My next one will likely be a cheap one off Amazon if this one breaks down, but it’s held up really well.

So why does Meta include some bad parts that could have used upgrading? Why to sell you better parts of course. The official Elite Strap costs $120 and was recalled for not working. There’s an official charging dock and of course the official silicone face pad. While I can’t fault Meta for trying to make money, it’s a bit lame when the aftermarket does a better job than the official products that probably should have been included to begin with. Still, they managed to cram a ton of tech into a reasonably priced product. Take the PSVR for instance, it costs the same as the Quest 3 128GB, but it requires a $500 PS5 to use, and it has cables – which are very annoying. It also only has one exclusive game of any value, Horizon: Call of The Mountain ($60.) So, when I say the Quest 3 is an excellent value, I mean compared to a lot of the competitors it’s really good. Though now you can get a Quest 2 for half that, so if all you’re doing is playing Supernatural, the Quest 2 is a STEAL.
So, why get the Quest 3 over the Quest 2? Improved graphics, especially since Asgard’s Wrath is currently free with the Quest 3 and it has some of the best graphics you can get on a VR game. Additionally, apps load faster, glitch less often, and hand tracking is some of the best I’ve seen as long as you have good lighting and keep your cameras clean. The Quest 3 also adds 2 GB of RAM to bring its total to 8 GB. Additionally, the 3D Surround Sound has been improved on the Quest 3, and while it’s not mind-blowing sound quality, it has really good volume and surround sound. Overall, it’s a great system, but if you don’t plan on gaming with fast, beautiful games, just get the Quest 2.

Hand tracking is excellent, with very accurate and detailed tracking, though not at the level of the Quest Pro. It’s rare, but occasionally the system will lose track of a hand which causes you to break your chain in Supernatural or Les Mills and induces cussing. Fast games like Pistol Whip, or Supernatural, which is easily one of the best workout games out there despite the subscription, feel quick and responsive with only rare misses caused by the system. Beautiful games like Moss, Ghost Signal, and Asgard’s Wrath 2 are immersive and gorgeous. The free game, First Encounters is a very fun introduction to the Augmented Reality options as tiny balls of fluff invade your house through the walls while you attempt to capture them.
Overall, the Quest 3 is the best VR system available right now, though the Quest 2 makes for a really tempting value proposition if you don’t need Augmented Reality or upgraded graphics and controller/hand tracking. The Quest 3 is a reasonable price, wireless, fun to use, with neat surround sound and excellent controllers. It requires a few upgrades to truly shine, so make sure you take that into account when buying one.

Bytes&Bull Overall Score: 5