This is what virtual mixed reality screens may look like on the Quest 3. And I love it!

So, what, it’s been a day since I haven’t mentioned the Vision Pro? Well, you may say I’m overdoing it, but I’d raise you this: what Apple showcased is sure to make the best VR headsets list, because the Vision Pro is promising outstanding AR and MX capabilities.

But that reality — if it actually lives up to expectations — is bound to 2024 and beyond. Right now, the Quest 3 is the hot topic in the XR industry and for good reason: it’s powerful, capable and offers tons of apps and games for you to enjoy.

… But what about mixed-reality?

The Quest 3 supports passthrough and some MR features here and there, but Meta has promised more to come in 2024. Odd choice, given that this would make the Quest 3 a de facto competitor to the Vision Pro, but I digress.

The thing is, that someone made a demo to show us what we may be in store. And I love it.


Now, hold your horses! This isn’t a Nintendo Switch emulator, as much as that would’ve excited me as well. For the time being, this virtual screen, developed for the Quest 3 by Ratliff, is only a video player.

But still, color me impressed! Even if passthrough on the Quest 3 isn’t godlike, it’s still better than on most headsets and this virtual screen takes full advantage of that. And if the little details like light reflections and ambiance really help to bring the concept home.

That being said, the virtual monitor isn’t running natively on the Quest 3 and for now, requires a PC in order to bring it up. But you know what? Even for a final product, I’d take that option instead of buying three or four monitors that take up space, have the ability to gather dust and may become void by means of cat.

While this is just a tech demo for the time being, the developer is willing to experiment further with the concept to see where it may go. And by that, I mean that this becoming a full-on standalone app isn’t entirely out of the question.

Unless Meta decides that it may take it off, because it’s planning to implement a similar feature natively on the Quest 3, but that’s a different story (which you can check out here).

Regarding mixed reality productivity, this is exactly the type of feature that I’d expected on a solid, modern headset. It’s also why I’m such a big advocate for the Vision Pro: because this is what Apple promised.

And you know what? In time, Ratliff may prove that the Quest 3 can be just as capable.