I’m using Metaquest 3 Almost every day, I wanted to see what the Apple Vision Pro was capable of in terms of entertainment, gaming, and productivity, and what I was really getting for the extra $3,000. Follow the full head-to-head video below to find out which is the best VR headset overall.
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First impressions of Apple Vision Pro
One of the reasons it took me so long to experience Apple’s premium headset is that the Vision Pro has an optical insert and technically Cannot be used with glasses. There are cheaper options, but it will cost you an additional $149 to get an official Zeiss prescription insert. That alone is half the cost of the new Metaquest 3S.
Once I got the insert, it was surprisingly easy to get the hang of the Vision Pro. Without a traditional controller, I expected the hand-eye navigation to be clunky, but honestly, it felt like magic. I quickly noticed that the Vision Pro’s field of view was narrower (90 degrees vs. 106 degrees on the Meta Quest 3), but it wasn’t as big an issue as I’ve heard many people feel.
Isn’t it interesting?
Aside from how polished and snappy the Vision Pro’s overall experience is, another selling point is its support for some of the best streaming services, including Apple TV (of course), Disney+, Max, and Crunchyroll. That’s what I’m doing. Quest 3? Not so much.
Unfortunately, playing your favorite content on the Quest 3 is much more difficult. You’re basically limited to the poorly developed Prime Video and YouTube apps. Quest also recently lost its Netflix app, and in most cases, your best bet is to use a web browser instead, although features like streaming quality and offline downloads will be affected.
In comparison, the Vision Pro made me want to catch up on backlogs and blockbusters on a 150-inch equivalent screen. Aside from the remarkable clarity of the video, being able to change the environment I was in took things to another level.
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What about games?
You’ll notice the Vision Pro’s horsepower increase right away. I tested a few games, including Cut the Rope, LEGO Builder’s Journey, and Castle Crumble, and found the graphics were better with less pixelation and anti-aliasing, but that’s not all. I don’t understand.
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Sure, the eye and hand controls were cool, but I missed having physical controls. Quest 3 feels more immersive and fun overall. The graphics aren’t all that impressive, but for sports and other games that rely on motion, there’s no competition.
productivity was amazing
The biggest reason I was excited to test Vision Pro was for its productivity benefits, especially when working on the go. The way Vision Pro and MacBook connect is almost perfect. Just look and connect with one click. The Quest 3 with Immersed apps comes pretty close and even has an edge (for now) with support for multiple displays and audio passthrough, but the Vision Pro runs smoother and feels like an extension of your MacBook. It was done.
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Besides mirroring your desktop, you can also use multiple native Vision Pro apps aside, including Apple TV and Photos. But this is where Apple’s ecosystem really shines. iMessage and Photos sync seamlessly, AirPlay and AirDrop work easily, and passwords are saved so you can access all your content instantly. This proves how easy it is to access Vision Pro and pick up your Apple experience where you left off.
All in all, the Vision Pro is impressive and worth experiencing if possible. But it’s also still very niche, and like many others who have tried it, the magic wears off after a few weeks and I myself find myself using it less and less. I did. I already own a Quest 3 and can do most of the things I can do with it, so it’s very hard to justify the additional cost of the Vision Pro. For now, I’m sticking with the Quest 3.
