Meta Quest 3 vs Quest 2: even more of a difference than you thought!

After about three years of dominating the VR headset market, the Quest 2 finally got a successor recently – the Meta Quest 3.

I've been using the Quest 2 for about two years consistently, and now the Quest 3 since its release. And since the latter, I've been alternating between the two, so we can go over the most notable differences worth knowing, beyond just the specs on paper. Let's do it!

Jump to:

• Design and build quality
• Head strap, face cover and comfort
• Controllers
• Lenses, FOV and IPD range
• Screen quality
• Mixed-reality experience (Passthrough)
• Standalone VR experience
• PCVR experience: Air Link or Virtual Desktop with Steam VR
• Speakers
• Battery life
• Specs comparison
• Verdict

Design and build quality

Let's face it, we all love the Quest 2, but it looks like a bucket. It's not exactly a beautiful headset; its square-ish shape is pretty much focused on practicality. There's no flair up front either, besides a barely-visible Oculus branding (which later became Meta).

The Quest 3, however, is far more pleasing to the eye, with significantly more rounded corners, lovely curves, a far thinner footprint, and those three pill-shaped sensor modules up front do give it a distinct look. It's still not exactly a fashionable piece you may want to wear in front of people, but we're getting there. Small steps.



Both the Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 are made out of plastic, but the Quest 2's shade is a tad darker, and the look and feel of the plastic is grainier. To put it simply, it feels a bit worse, and cheaper.

The Quest 3's plastic body is smoother, brighter, and while it doesn't scream "premium" either, its thinner, curvier body, paired with a brighter, ever so slightly more matte color does make it look aesthetically pleasing.

When it comes to buttons, the Quest 2's power button is pretty small and hard to feel for, due to its vertical pill shape, and it's on the right side. The Quest 3's power button is to the left, and it's round, bigger, and even slightly more raised, making it much easier to find without looking.

Both headsets have a headphone jack for users who may prefer enjoying their VR gaming with their own wired headphones, and both headsets have volume keys on the bottom.

However, the Quest 3 also has pin connectors on the bottom, for charging it "wirelessly" with an optional dock, as well as a very, very handy IPD adjustment wheel.

For adjusting your IPD on the old Quest 2, you need to manually snap its lenses between only three different positions, which is not only clunky, but limiting. So that IPD slider on the Quest 3 is a real gamechanger.

Head strap, face cover and comfort

I don't have my original head strap on my Quest 2, since it was designed to hold to the headset via a very thin piece of plastic that broke on the first month of me using it. Not great. So forgive the Kiwi Elite Strap pics we have for reference, but the point is – the Quest 2 had durability issues when it came to the strap. Pull it a bit too hard while adjusting for comfort – and that plastic piece breaks.

Sadly, the Quest 3 also holds its head strap with what looks like a similar, thin plastic piece. I haven't managed to break it just yet, and can only hope it turns out to be more durable, but again – do be careful when adjusting your head strap, so as to not break it.

In any case, let's talk about the retail head strap and face covers these headsets came with. The Quest 2 came with a flimsy head strap that did the job without being intrusive, and the Quest 3 continues this tradition. While being more elaborate, the Quest 3's head strap definitely does not feel more comfortable, and I did complain about the comfort situation in my Quest 3 review.

We could argue that both headsets' default head straps are designed to be as unobtrusive and portable as possible, but the bottom line is – I find neither of them comfortable.

Thankfully, we have tons of third and first-party head strap options to choose from, so we're not stuck with the default ones by any means.

The face covers are a particularly interesting topic. The Quest 2's face cover was so bad, that Meta had to pause Quest 2 sales due to a skin irritation issue it caused. I personally swiftly switched mine with a third party fake-leather-type face cover, and Meta did the same thing for newer Quest 2 models.

If you buy a newer Quest 2 today, you'll get a similar fake-leather face cover, but beware if you buy a used, older variant – you'll get the original face cover, which was made out of some weird foam, and again – can cause skin irritation.

The Quest 3 improves in that area significantly – its face cover is made from "washable, mixed-cotton fabric", covered by a lovely mesh material, that doesn't leave red rings on your face after an hour or two, which the Quest 2 will with both of its face cover variants.

Controllers

The Quest 2's controllers are as iconic as it gets – ergonomic design, matte plastic, and huge plastic rings that hold hidden sensors, for tracking. Pretty much all non-Meta headsets followed that exact controller design, and continue to do so even today.

But the Quest 3 did a pretty massive leap ahead by removing the plastic ring, which makes its controllers feel way, way more portable in comparison.

Their button layout remains the same, and so does the fact that both the Quest 2 and Quest 3's controllers use a single AA battery each, and are not rechargeable.



We know that the Quest 2's thumbsticks can exhibit the dreaded stick drift, and only time will tell if the Quest 3's controllers will fare any better long-term. The Quest 3's controller thumbsticks feel barely any different, so I'm a bit skeptical, but again, time will tell.

Other small changes to the Quest 3's controllers are a curvier design, and notably – a more elegant way to pop out and replace the batteries. The Quest 3 controllers have a button to pop out their battery lid automatically. Meanwhile the Quest 2's controllers are pretty clunky – you have to slide out their battery lid manually, and it's not immediately clear how you're meant to go about it. So once again – quality of life upgrades.

Lenses, FOV and IPD range

The Quest 3 packs pancake lenses, which are far better designed, resulting in a much clearer image, with no rainbow effects or blurriness at the corner of your vision, no distortion, and on top of that – no shiny screen reflections to occasionally distract you.

The Quest 3 also has a slightly larger FOV (field of view), making things feel a bit more immersive, but more notably – a larger IPD range.



IPD is the distance between the user's eyes. A VR headset must be set to an IPD close to that, in order for said user to have a good experience, without eye fatigue.

The Quest 2's IPD range is 56-70mm, which covers a good chunk of people. However, the Quest 3's IPD range is 53-75mm, which not only covers way more people, but its IPD can be fine-tuned thanks to that new IPD wheel.

If you're one of those people who always get dizzy from VR headsets, or exhibit eye fatigue, there's a fair chance that not setting the headset's IPD to yours is the culprit, or – the headset doesn't support your IPD. Obviously, the Quest 3 is the safer bet for you, and for pretty much all users when it comes to that.

Screen quality

The Quest 3 has a higher resolution per eye than the Quest 2 (2064-by-2208 vs. 1832-by-1920), and it shows.

Because of it, the Quest 3's picture quality is notably sharper and more immersive. Not only that, but the headset's new pancake lenses add to its extra perceived clarity. It's a notable leap ahead for VR immersion.

In contrast, the Quest 2 feels a bit archaic if you try it right after using the Quest 3, like I did many times for this comparison. You can clearly see the individual pixels if you look for them, and the blurry edges of your view (due to its worse lenses) are immediately distracting.

However, on its own, the Quest 2's display still delivers a respectable picture quality, and has a high resolution that still beats other popular VR headsets like the Valve Index, by a mile.

Both the Quest 2 and Quest 3 pack LCD screens, meaning you don't get true blacks, or the kind of vivid colors you may have seen on your OLED-screen phone or TV, but they do look very good nonetheless.

Unfortunately, both headsets have a pretty weak 100 nits max brightness; that hasn't been improved on the Quest 3. And while most players won't have an issue with that, occasionally I'll stumble upon a game, or a scene in a game, that will feel too dark even on the brightest setting. More nits would've been nice, but alas.

Both headsets' displays support a refresh rate up to 120Hz, but you'll be experiencing them at 90Hz for most of the time, and that's honestly fine. A higher refresh rate means the screen refreshes more often per second, making games appear smoother and more immersive, but not many actually support 120Hz refresh rate, nor is the difference that noticeable that it warrants the battery life hit. Meta still calls 120Hz "experimental" too, so I wouldn't hold my breath for it becoming a standard anytime soon.

Mixed-reality experience (Passthrough)

This is the part I was most hyped about, when it came to the Quest 3, and it delivers. But first, let's explain what passthrough is, for the few of you who might not know it – it's a feature both Quest headsets have, that lets you see your real-world surroundings through the headset's cameras. It creates an AR (augmented reality) or as Meta prefers to call it – a mixed-reality experience, as you see not only the real world, but thanks to the headset's sensors, virtual objects on top of it, that react as if part of it. More and more Quest games are supporting this feature, and it's pretty awesome.

So, the old Quest 2 uses monochrome, low-resolution cameras for its passthrough, and the experience was akin to a proof of concept, more so than anything you'd actually want to use. While its passthrough doesn't look good, it was still an exciting, promising feature back when it came out.

But now, the Quest 3 comes bringing actual color cameras, boasting a higher resolution, and a depth sensor, all successfully improving the mixed-reality passthrough experience significantly.



AR / mixed-reality games look and feel more immersive than ever, and even just navigating the Quest 3's menu while seeing your real-world surroundings in full color, is pretty cool.

However don't expect too much clarity from the Quest 3's passthrough, as it still exhibits the weird distortion effects Quest 2 users may have seen around close-up objects, and it's not a super-sharp experience either.

You may be able to read larger text on your phone through the headset's cameras at best, but we still have a long way to go until passthrough actually reaches anything near the clarity of seeing the world only through those miracles of nature that are our eyes.

But hey, so far, the Quest 3 features the most immersive mixed-reality experience we've seen. Maybe the ultra-expensive Apple Vision Pro will beat that (and it better), but in this price range, the Quest 3 is now the king of mixed-reality. And it helps that more and more games come out with a main focus on this feature.

Standalone VR experience

Right now the Quest 2 and Quest 3 share the same game library, so you won't be missing out on anything if you go for the older headset. However, since the Quest 3 has better passthrough and a depth sensor for mixed-reality experiences, it's possible that eventually we'll start seeing games that only work on the Quest 3.

Both headsets have their own standalone operating system based on Android, and you can learn more about it (in its current state) in our Quest 3 review. Both headsets are kept updated and share the same interface, although this won't be the case forever, and the Quest 2 will be abandoned sooner when it comes to major software updates.

Meta still claims that the 3-year-old Quest 2 will continue getting updates for now, and that's fair, considering it's still likely the most used VR headset worldwide, so for the near future, there's no reason for concern over getting a Quest 2, if you're set on it.

PCVR experience: Air Link or Virtual Desktop with SteamVR

Both the Quest 2 and Quest 3 support Oculus Link, a way to use them as PCVR headsets with your computer, by connecting them to it via a sold-separately (and very overpriced) cable.

Both also support AirLink, which is a wonderful, free way to use them for PCVR wirelessly, but you'll need a strong Wi-Fi connection, and the Windows app you'll have to install on your PC has been a nightmare to use, for a while. It's unreliable, often gets updates that break it, and I eventually moved on to the third option – Virtual Desktop

You can buy the Virtual Desktop app on both headsets, and it's basically AirLink, without the Meta stuff – no buggy Meta PC app, no constant updates that break the experience. I've been happy with using this app to make both my Quest 2 and Quest 3 into PCVR headsets for my gaming rig.

Regardless of which way you choose to connect them to your PC, both the Quest 2 and Quest 3 can double as PCVR headsets, so long as you have a powerful PC that can handle triple-A VR gaming. This unlocks an opportunity to play Steam VR games like Half-Life: Alyx, Skyrim VR, Fallout 4 VR, and many more, with your Quest headset – they're all supported, the controllers work perfectly well; no issues there, regardless of which Quest headset you use.

Speakers

I found the Quest 2's speakers to be excellent, especially when compared to other headsets, neckband speakers, or AR glasses. We get good spatial audio, with a surprising amount of bass; and you need that extra punch, it really adds to the immersion, especially if you're playing music-based games like Beat Saber.

However, the Quest 2's speakers can feel a bit too quiet even on the loudest setting. This depends on the game, of course, but especially when using it for PCVR, I wanted more.

Thankfully, the Quest 3 improves on that exact thing – its speakers can get way louder. They're still excellent, still with a good amount of bass, still immersively spatial. Good stuff!

And of course, both headsets have a headphone jack, in case you wish to plug in your own favorite headphones and rock your VR games with those. But honestly, I prefer not having headphones squishing my ears for hours, nor in-ears irritating them. The Quest 2 and 3's speakers stand just above your ears, so no irritation, no discomfort – just good sound!

Battery life

The Quest 2 is supposed to have a battery life of about 2-3 hours, depending on what game you're playing, but over the last 2 years, mine's battery has degraded significantly. It now barely reaches a single hour, and I'm pretty concerned that the same thing will eventually happen with the Quest 3.

For now though, the Quest 3 also promises about 2-3 hours of play time on a single charge, which is more than I'd want to wear a VR headset for anyway, so no complaints there.

Realistically, you can expect about 2 hours on average from both headsets, on a single charge. As long as they're brand new.

But again, if you're planning on buying a used Quest 2, or you're reading this in the distant future, eyeing a used Quest 3 instead, keep in mind that those batteries can degrade. And sometimes, significantly. Ask the seller how the battery is holding up, to be sure what to expect.

For charging, both the Quest 2 and Quest 3 have a USB Type-C port, and come with an included cable and charger, but the Quest 3 also has docking pins on the bottom, which lets it charge "wirelessly" if you buy the really expensive charging dock for it. So that's an optional convenience that only Quest 3 users can take advantage of, but yeah, $130 for a charging dock, it's not exactly affordable.

Specs comparison

Verdict

While the Quest 2 is still an amazing VR headset for both standalone gaming and PCVR, it's been on the market for three years, and it's starting to show.

The Quest 3 improves on almost every aspect of it – from the thinner and more pleasing design, through its wider IPD range that can now be finely adjusted, much higher display resolution, far better lenses, louder speakers, massively improved mixed-reality experience, simplified and improved controllers… It's a big jump ahead.

Still, realistically, if you're new to VR, there's no reason not to buy the Quest 2 and have an amazing gaming experience for years to come, and at least for now – you'll still get access to the same games Quest 3 users can choose from. You don't have to spend the extra money if none of the Quest 3's improvements seem significant to you, and you just simply want to play VR games.

However, if you want the best, or you wish to upgrade from any older headset you may have lying around, the Quest 3 is definitely worth it. It's the most feature-packed headset on the market right now, with the biggest library of dedicated games, and while you don't need a computer, if you have one – it can be a fantastic PCVR headset too. A jack of all trades, improving greatly on an already fantastic predecessor.