Apple’s new Vision Pro headset has sparked plenty of comparisons to Meta’s latest Quest 3, which was unveiled last October. Now Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is weighing in after going hands-on with Vision Pro. In an Instagram video posted Tuesday, Zuck gave Quest 3 the definitive edge.
“I don’t just think that Quest is the better value, I think Quest is the better product, period,” Zuckerberg declared.
He cited several key advantages:
- Weight and Comfort: At 120 grams lighter than Vision Pro, Zuck said Quest 3 is much more comfortable for longer periods of use.
- Controllers and Input: Zuck prefers Quest 3’s physical controllers and hand tracking capabilities over Vision Pro’s reliance on eye tracking and pinch gestures.
- Price: At $1,499 versus $2,299 for the base Vision Pro model, Quest 3 is over seven times cheaper, Zuckerberg pointed out.
- Content Library: Quest 3 currently has a bigger selection of games and apps tailored to VR compared to Vision Pro. However, Zuck conceded Apple’s device is better for entertainment.
He also highlighted benefits of Quest 3’s video pass through and wide field of view thanks to its external battery pack design. And in a subtle message to his team, Zuckerberg thanked them for pioneering VR headsets long before rivals like Apple.
It’s hard to argue with Zuckerberg’s assessment looking strictly at the technology today. Meta does clearly lead in key performance metrics, content, and pricing. Additionally, Apple is still ramping up its developer support and headset ecosystem.
However, Apple’s track record suggests it can catch up in areas where Quest currently leads. We’ve seen this playbook before as iOS and the App Store overtook incumbents in smartphones. Apple also has ecosystem, branding, and privacy advantages that could appeal to many consumers.
In the end, while Zuckerberg claims Quest 3 has already won, the headset race between tech giants has only just started. Apple is in this for the long haul and with billions to spend on VR development. So while Meta can celebrate battle victories so far, the larger war to dominate the next computing platform remains in early days. We’ll have to check back on Zuck’s verdict in a few years.