I’ve tested more than 15 VR headsets — but there’s only one I’d recommend buying this Prime Day
And no, I'm not talking about Nintendo Switch VR...
![A VR headset on an orange background, blurred behind a question mark.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3msbZM6ijJmTnHXYiT6aVn-320-80.jpg)
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I’m not entirely sure it’s fashionable to admit this, but I love virtual reality. Ever since Palmer Luckey re-ignited the scene with the launch of Oculus (now part of Meta) and the Oculus DK1 headset, I’ve been in the trenches of the VR scene, trying every bit of VR hardware I can get my hands on.
Whether working in VR or gaming in VR, I’m an evangelist for the format, and try to convert as many skeptics to the cause as I can, everywhere I go. Here’s my credentials — in a non-exhaustive list, I’ve tested the following:
- Oculus DK1
- Oculus DK 2
- Oculus Quest
- Oculus / Meta Quest 2
- Meta Quest 3
- Oculus Go
- Oculus Rift
- Oculus Rift S
- HP Reverb G2
- PlayStation VR
- PlayStation VR 2
- Google Cardboard
- Samsung Gear
- Apple Vision Pro
- Microsoft HoloLens
- HTC Vive
- HTC Vive Pro
- Valve Index
That’s just off the top of my head, and doesn’t include random trade-show concepts and prototypes, whatever headsets are in use at the many public VR playrooms that I’ve visited over the years, nor the curio gimmick attempts at virtual reality like the weird Nintendo Switch VR kit.
Of all the headsets on the list, it’s the Quest 2 I’ve spent the most time with — but it is its successor, the Meta Quest 3, that is the one I’d recommend to anyone looking to give VR a whirl.
It offers more bang-for-buck than any other VR headset on the market, and thanks to the Amazon Prime Day sale, it’s now at a superb price — the 128GB model is down to just $429.99 — a serious saving over its usual $499.99 asking price.
Meta Quest 3 128GB | $499.99 $429.99 at Amazon
The best bang-for-buck VR headset on the market, the Meta Quest 3 gives you access to hundreds of on-device and PC VR titles, in a lightweight form factor at a great price. Its high-resolution screen and full colour passthrough just seals the deal.
What makes Meta Quest 3 special
Lightweight and comfortable for extended play sessions, the Meta Quest 3 is as close to pick-up-and-play as VR gets. A standalone device, it doesn’t require a computer to power, instead running off the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset. That gives it twice the graphical processing grunt over the already-impressive Meta Quest 2, and lets it drive greater-than-4K experiences across its dual screens — 30% sharper than its predecessor.
What separates the Meta Quest 3 from the competition though is its app library. Not only do you have access to more than 500 immersive experiences and games built especially for Meta Quest (including the impressive Asgard’s Wrath 2, Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR and Beat Sabre), but you can also use it to access the many PC VR titles on the market, wirelessly streamed to the headset, massively expanding the available software for the system. That’s before considering the productivity options the Meta Quest 3 offers, with impressive full-color passthrough meaning you’ve good awareness of your surroundings while you work.
Now, I’m hoping by the end of this year I’ll be able to add another VR headset to this list — the Apple Vision Pro (though don’t tell Apple I called its ‘Spatial Computing’ headset a VR device!). It is, without a doubt, the most advanced piece of VR kit I’ve ever tried, with a has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed screen, and the most amazing passthrough and hand-tracking tech I’ve ever used. But! At $3,499, you could buy a Meta Quest 3 many times over for the price of a Vision Pro, and right now, Vision Pro’s app selection just isn’t quite there. With more time, more users following the international roll out, and VisionOS 2 on the way, I’m hoping developers will redress that balance. But for now Apple’s Vision Pro ecosystem has some catching up to do.
In the meantime, the Meta Quest 3 is a remarkable device. And, at its current sale price, it’s offering remarkable value for money, too.
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Gerald Lynch is the Editor-in-Chief of iMore, keeping careful watch over the site's editorial output and commercial campaigns, ensuring iMore delivers the in-depth, accurate and timely Apple content its readership deservedly expects. You'll never see him without his iPad Pro, and he loves gaming sessions with his buddies via Apple Arcade on his iPhone 15 Pro, but don't expect him to play with you at home unless your Apple TV is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system.
Living in London in the UK, Gerald was previously Editor of Gizmodo UK, and Executive Editor of TechRadar, and has covered international trade shows including Apple's WWDC, MWC, CES and IFA. If it has an acronym and an app, he's probably been there, on the front lines reporting on the latest tech innovations. Gerald is also a contributing tech pundit for BBC Radio and has written for various other publications, including T3 magazine, GamesRadar, Space.com, Real Homes, MacFormat, music bible DIY, Tech Digest, TopTenReviews, Mirror.co.uk, Brandish, Kotaku, Shiny Shiny and Lifehacker. Gerald is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press, and also holds a Guinness world record on Tetris. For real.