Is the Meta Quest 3 worth it? Our review of the hot new VR headset

29.11.2023 - 15:23 / radiotimes.com

The world of VR can be a tricky thing to get into, and the Meta Quest headsets — formerly known as Oculus Quest headsets, prior to Facebook buying the company — generally represent one of the easiest ways for new players to get involved with virtual reality.

This year, we've seen the arrival of the Meta Quest 3, the latest in this impressive range of headsets.

Like its predecessor, the perennially popular Meta Quest 2, it does not require a PC to run a number of high-profile games. Heck, you don't even need to be plugged into a power source!

Love gaming? Listen to our podcast One More Life!

But with the Meta Quest 3 being priced at £479 by retailers like Currys, it's not exactly a small investment.

We've been lucky enough to test out the headset for the last couple of weeks, and our primary goal here is to answer that one big question: Is the Meta Quest 3 worth it? Read on to find out with our full review!

Yes, we'd say that the Meta Quest 3 is worth it, especially if you're planning to be involved in VR gaming for the next five years or so. If that sounds like you, head over to Amazon or your retailer of choice once you've got the money saved!

The Meta Quest 3 is a vast improvement on the Meta Quest 2 in all sorts of areas. For now, games will continue to come out on that older headset too, but we assume that developers will gradually begin to prioritise the Quest 3 over the next few years.

Think of it like the difference between buying a PS4 and buying a PS5 at the moment. Sure, there are loads of games on the older system, but you'll get better graphics and a more future-proofed purchase if you opt for the most recent edition.

First things first, setting the Meta Quest 3 up is really simple, and the lack of wires continues to be a really nice touch. That's something that you can't say about the PSVR 2, this year's other big hardware launch in this space, which doesn't work unless it's plugged in. (Note: although the Meta Quest 3 runs loads of games wirelessly on its own, you can also connect it to a PC if you really want to!)

Wearing the Quest 3 is pretty comfy, as well, even if you're a glasses wearer like me. The strap is maybe a little bit basic, and it did leave a red line on my head after one particularly intense session, but you won't be thinking about that while you're wearing the thing!

In fact, speaking as a glasses user, I'd say that the Meta Quest 3 is the best headset I've tried in terms of truly achieving a nice clear image, even though the game is going through two sets of lenses (those on the headset and those on your glasses) before actually reaching your eyes.

The view was crystal clear in every game I tried, helped along by the Quest 3's fish-eye lenses and its improved