By James Davis
Earlier this week, tech giant Apple announced plans to launch its mixed reality headset, Vision Pro. The product will compete with Meta’s Quest 3, set to launch later this year.
But what differentiates the two headsets? You will find out if you continue reading this article.
Price and Availability
As announced on Monday, Apple’s Vision Pro will retail at $3,499. The figure is way above the rumored price of $2,500. Meanwhile, Meta said last Friday that its Quest 3 headset will trade for just $500. The company already has another mixed reality headset called Quest 2, which retails at $1,000.
In terms of availability, Vision Pro will launch early 2024, while Quest Pro will hit the market before the end of this year.
Display
Apple’s Vision Pro will display images in 8K resolution. As for Quest 3, it is not clear how sharp its screen is going to be, but news outlet Bloomberg reported over the weekend that Quest 3 does not look any shaper than Quest 2, which displays images in 2K resolution for each eye.
Power and Battery
MacBook’s M2 processor will power Vision Pro, as per Apple’s announcement. On the other hand, Meta will adopt the Snapdragon Qualcomm XR2 chip for its Quest 3 headset. The company says graphics performance in Quest 3 will be better than in Quest 2.
Meanwhile, Vision Pro won’t come with an onboard battery. Instead, users will be provided with a plug-in pack, giving them about two and a half hours of operating time. Quest 3 users, on the other hand, can enjoy three and a half hours of use if the headset is fully charged.
Content
Even though Vision Pro is seen as an entertainment gadget, Apple has not disclosed whether it will develop Virtual Reality games for the headset. But users will be able to access popular applications like Zoom and FaceTime. In addition, Vision Pro will allow them to create digital versions of themselves, bridging the gap between their physical and virtual selves.
On the other hand, Quest 3 users will have access to several Virtual Reality games, including Pistol Whip, Beat Saber, Superhot VR, and many more. They can also watch TV shows and movies in a virtual environment.
Verdict
Although the two headsets will be built to offer mixed reality experiences, you can tell that they are going to serve their users differently. Quest 3 appears to be more of a gaming device, while Vision Pro is a productivity device giving users access to useful apps.
Considering the high tech in Vision Pro, a good user experience is guaranteed. But its retail price of $3,499 could be a stumbling block for many consumers. That said, we may see more mixed reality fans going for Meta’s Quest 3, which is seven times cheaper.