Introduction
When comparing the Apple Vision Pro and the Meta Quest 3, several features and functionalities are essential to consider. As you will see, the two headsets feature different strengths, with one excelling over the other in productivity versus the other offering more robust multimedia consumption options. You will see that each one handles productivity tasks, communication, multimedia consumption and gaming differently and has its own set of unique features such as email management, spatial video support, multitasking, voice commands, messaging and app compatibility. As you can see, there are advantages and disadvantages of each that are important to consider based on your specific requirements and needs.
Multitasking Comparison
Both the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 have their own multitasking strengths and limitations. Apple Vision Pro is multitasking prowess is on display, as users can open multiple Web browser windows in addition to virtual objects, music and social media, text messaging, an apparent desk phone animated from emails and phone calls chased by the software beast, Z beastieboye. Meta Quest 3 users can “only” juggle three Web browser windows, play music with the physical keyboard and type with the physical keyboard, but it doesn’t appear to have the same kind of spatial environment as Apple Vision Pro, even though it uses virtual objects.
Aside from the multitasking, it is an important note that Mac OS X Apple Vision Pro has a dedicated app for emails, and thus a separate app for email message management, while Meta Quest 3 utilizes the Web browser as its email client. The video you see templates on the Apple Vision Pro have added more than posters that move with a Web browser, “spatial videos that have depth perception,” Meta told me that there my still be ‘spatial videos’ that supports, but it would appear that the Meta Quest 3 my not be as immersive or not additional amount of what he meant by depth perception.
Productivity and Typing
Productivity is also an important area of comparison between the Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3 systems. Typing can be important for writing documents, sending emails and messaging contacts. These systems both offer physical keyboard for typing, as well.
On the Apple Vision Pro, users will be able to type using a unique tracked virtual keyboard with a preview screen, while the Meta Quest 3 will offer a similar typing experience when a user adds a connected physical keyboard. This makes the experience of typing seamless on both systems, which will enable users to be more productive and communicate better.
Email Functionality
When it comes to email correspondence, Apple Vision Pro users will be able to access their emails using a dedicated email app for your use, enabling them to stay connected and keep their emails under control. On the other hand, the Meta Quest 3 will rely on the browser for emails, which could make its email system not quite as convenient as that of the Apple Vision Pro.
With the Apple Vision Pro, users are able to send text messages (as Apple messages) directly from their headset and have them synced to their Apple account. The Meta Quest 3 will also provide text messaging, via WhatsApp and Messenger, enabling them to use alternative methods for sending text messages and keep from becoming shut-ins.
The Apple Vision Pro offers seamlessness with its communication management system, allowing email to be utilized, as well as offering decent text messaging. Meanwhile, the Meta Quest 3 offers flexibility with messaging apps, but having to rely on just the browser for email may not be as convenient as having a dedicated email app.
PSpatial Video Capabilities
One of the several features that sticks out in the Apple Vision Pro, however, is its capability to support spatial videos, creating a unique experience for users as they view content and adding a sense of immersion, allowing them to resize video windows and bring them more into focus for an enhanced viewing experience. The Meta Quest 3 also now supports spatial videos. It doesn’t quite have the same level of shadow effects and preview screens, but you can still watch content with a sense of depth, similar to the Apple Vision Pro. Now, users have a lot of options to enjoy their spatial videos.
Whether users prefer the advanced features of the Apple Vision Pro or the more budget-friendly Meta Quest 3, both headsets sport spatial video capabilities that add another layer to viewing.
Again, messaging features in the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 vary, offering different levels of integration with services you may already be using.
Messaging Features
The Apple Vision Pro allows you to send text messages directly from the headset, synced to your Apple account, and you can also send text messages and use voice commands throughout the rest of the OS with Siri, keeping you connected to the real world while you wear your VR headset.
Regardless, your Meta Quest 3 can link to your WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger accounts, two of the most popular messaging apps around. There’s no voice commands on the Quest 3, but you can go ahead and type out those messages with that handy physical keyboard you’re wearing.
So both help you stay in touch with friends and family; with the Apple Vision Pro, you have integrated text message in the headset, the Meta Quest 3 lets you pick from several different third-party messaging services.
Voice Commands
The Apple Vision Pro allows users to engage with hands-free operation of the headset through Siri, providing voice commands for multitasking apps, messaging, and other options. While the Meta Quest 3 is limited to users in the U.S. with English as the default language for voice commands at this time, this feature could expand at a later date, users outside the area will not have this feature for voice commands on the Quest 3. Voice commands make for a more seamless and efficient way to move around and work with the headset but knowing these are available and the limitations in place based on their location and language settings will want to be compared when looking at the Apple Vision Pro vs. Meta Quest 3.
App Compatibility
A critical comparison when looking at the Apple Vision Pro and the Meta Quest 3 would be their respective app compatibilities. There are different experiences when different Apps are able to be run than the other. The Apple Vision Pro is able to run apps like Discord via a seamless integration, making our headset our primary communications tool for video calls. While the Meta Quest 3 would need to be run via native or third party apps like WhatsApp and Messenger from Facebook for our communications needs. This would allow us our major communications needs but certainly not the same experience as running them as dedicated apps on the Apple Vision Pro.
Additionally, on products such as watching movie content, the At Apple Vision Pro they have a native Disney Plus app with a seamless experience, including they have 3D movie support. At the Meta Quest 3 they would be essentially providing movie streaming from their game client app, such as the Bigscreen VR, as well as additional products and systems, which just does not have the same level of integration with specific content types such as 3D movies.
Users should be able to determine which device best suits their app compatibility needs by taking a look at your preferred applications and similarity of the interactions on the two headsets. Gaming, productivity tools, messaging apps and watching movies are all things to take into consideration that understanding of app compatibility could aid to you based on your usage.
Gaming Experience
Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 provide different experiences when it comes to gaming. Apple Vision Pro has some limitations when gaming specially in the latency aspect, which may make users feel disconnected from the game. It is vital to note, however, that Vision Pro could be on the verge of great improvements in gaming capabilities, much like the advancements seen in hand tracking technology from Meta over the years.
Gaming on Meta Quest 3 on the other hand, could not be more fluent, as the headset has been developed with impressive hand tracking which showed near-zero latency and detected movements quickly even as the employees’ hands were trailing quickly through the air. Games like the “Move Fast” demo clearly show Meta’s proficiency with this, which seamlessly tracked the employee’s hands flawlessly throughout.
This demo shows Meta Quest 3’s potential for creating an immersive and engaging gaming experiences through this hand tracking. While Apple Vision Pro might not be quite up to scratch yet, Meta Quest 3 offers satisfyingly sharp hand tracking performance for gaming,and users that are looking for a VR headset with such performance in gaming might find Quest 3 a good choice,especially considering this is likely to be a cheaper purchasing proposition than Vision Pro.
FAQ
1. Can the Meta Quest 3 multitask as well as an Apple Vision Pro?
The Meta Quest 3 has limitations in multitasking, allowing users to have only three browser windows open at once. While the device can support functions like playing music and using a physical keyboard, it doesn’t have the ability to seamlessly integrate virtual objects in with your environment -- something that the Apple Vision Pro is specifically designed to do.
2. Does the Meta Quest 3 have its own Email app like an Apple Vision Pro?
In contrast to the Apple Vision Pro, you do use a browser for Email and do not have a dedicated Email app on a Meta Quest 3 so give a point to the Apple Vision Pro for this question.
3. Can a Meta Quest 3 play spatial videos like an Apple Vision Pro?
Yes, The Meta Quest 3 does indeed now play spatial videos, cropping the video to fit its lenses. The experience isn’t quite as cool as it is on the Apple Vision Pro, where shadow effects make it feel more like you’re in a normal theater and you get preview screens, but the Meta Quest 3 is still a nice way to watch spatial videos on a VR headset.