Oculus Quest 2 has been leading the market for the last 3 years and is the best selling VR headset of all the time. This June, the Meta released its next VR headset, Quest 3. Oculus Quest 3 is more expensive than Quest 2, but this is not the only difference. You can expect plenty of specification changes. In this blog, we will have a look at key pointers detailing Quest 3 vs Quest 2.
What Includes Meta Quest 3?
Meta Quest 3, released in June 2023, is considered a significant upgrade in every way. Its full unveiling will take place on 27th September at Meta Connect 2023.
- Price: It costs $499 to buy Meta Quest 3.
- Size: The size of the Meta Quest 3 is smaller.
Specifications
- Meta Quest 3 has a smaller build size, double processing power, better controllers and better lenses.
- It offers a high-resolution display with better room mapping.
What Includes Meta Quest 2?
Meta Quest 2, released in 2020 with many surprises, was a great entry point into virtual reality. The smartphone is required to access Oculus Quest 2, or you can also access Rift titles with a link cable connecting to a gaming computer. Meta Quest 2 allows you to enjoy increased pixel density, dynamic resolution, a smoother game experience and seamless immersion. With its Six degrees of freedom feature (6DOF), the headset tracks the movement of your body and head. It offers 50% more pixels and a better display than the original Oculus Quest. There are many games available in the market for Meta Quest 2.
Price: It costs $299 to buy Oculus Quest 2.
Specifications
- It has a fast switch LCD.
- Meta Quest 2’s resolution is 1832 x 1920.
- This headset offers 3D positional built-in audio.
Also Read: Difference between Oculus Quest 2 and Meta Quest 2
Quest 3 Vs Quest 2 – What Is The Difference
After extensive research, we have listed some pointers stating the difference between Quest 3 & Quest 2.
Quest 2 Vs Quest 3: Based On Design And Comfort
We cannot deny that Quest 2 and Quest 3 have a common design ancestry. Both come in dazzling white colour, feature soft headbands, and have speaker rails on the side. The display houses the computer and battery for both headsets worn over the head.
At first glance, they appear very similar, but there are quite a few significant differences.
Size: The Quest 3 is 40% smaller than the Quest 2.
Lenses: The updated lenses of the Quest 3 achieve a field of view, expanding the headset’s ability to observe a larger area of the virtual world. Moreover, the new lenses provide exceptional clarity and eliminate the pesky “sweet spot” that requires adjusting the headset for optimal clarity.
IPD Adjustment: Furthermore, Meta will use analog IPD adjustment again. Adjust the distance between your eyes with the conveniently located IPD wheel at the bottom of the device. Players playing Quest for a while will recognize this as how the original game allowed players to change their lenses.
Weight: Meta states that the Quest 3 weighs about the same as the Quest 2, but it distributes the weight more evenly using parallel head straps on either side of your head. If you have long hair, this will help you keep the weight more evenly distributed and prevent any slipping.
Audio: Meta repositioned the USB-C and 3.5mm audio port on the Quest 3 to make the headset more compact. The Quest 3 has moved the USB-C port to the left head strap arm, making some Quest 2 accessories incompatible.
Front: The Quest 3’s exterior differs drastically from that of the Quest 2, as it prominently displays the cameras and makes them easily visible to onlookers. The front panel doesn’t have the same level of beauty or sophistication as the Apple Vision Pro, but it does make the cameras more noticeable.
Cameras: The Quest 3 has six cameras, unlike the Quest 2, which only has four. There are six in total: two on the bottom and four on the front, left and right “pills.” Having a clear view of the room around you and accurately tracking your controllers and hands are crucial.
The cameras on the Quest 2 have a ten times lower resolution than those cameras, so the images should be much less sharp. And unlike the Quest 2’s poor quality black and white footage, theirs is in full colour.
Sensors: The middle “pill” has a brand-new infrared projector and depth sensor, enhancing mixed reality experiences.
Also Read: Chief Metaverse Officer Job
Below, we will provide the table containing pointers to know in brief about Quest 3 vs quest 2.
Oculus Quest 3 Vs Oculus Quest 2 – Table
| Meta Quest 3 | Meta Quest 2 |
| Released in 2023 | Released in 2020 |
| Much Thinner & More Comfortable | Due to its heavy size, Meta Quest 2 is still daunting for longer gaming sessions. |
| High Resolution Display | 1832 x 1920 per eye |
| Edge To Edge Clarity | Offer 30% greater display than the original Oculus |
| Better IPD Adjustment | Built-In IPD Adjustment with 3 Settings |
| Double Performance | Less compared to Oculus Quest 3 |
| Ringless Controllers | 2 Controllers |
| Improved Haptics | – |
| Dedicated RGB Passthrough Cameras | Inside-out tracking via 4 cameras |
| More Expensive – $499 (128 GB) | $299 (128 GB), $349 (256 GB) |
| Qualcomm SnapDragon VR Chip | XR2 |
| Depth sensor | – |
| True Mixed Reality Experiences | – |
| Twice GPU processing power | 1/2 GPU Processing Power than Meta quest 3 |
| Double The Graphical Performance | Less Graphical performance as compared to Oculus Quest 3 |
| 6 Cameras | 4 Cameras |
Quest 2 Vs Quest 3: Based On Graphics, Performance, And Battery Life
Processor: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 dedicated line of chips powers the Quest 2 and the upcoming Quest 3, but the Quest 3 is expected to utilize a much more recent chipset. We cannot be certain about its name, but a reasonable assumption is that it will be called Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2.
Battery: The battery life of the Quest 3 would be similar to Quest 2, lasting around two to four hours, depending on usage. Meta will be able to squeeze even more performance out of it than they were able to with the chip in the Quest 2, thanks to the chipset’s thermal management.
Comparing Quest 2 vs Quest 3 GPUs
| Headset chipset | Quest 2 – Adreno 650 | Quest 3 – Adreno 740 |
| Process node | 7nm | 4nm |
| GPU base clock | 250 MHz | 680 MHz |
| GPU boost clock | 587 MHz | 587 MHz |
| Memory type | LPDDR4x-2133 | LPDDR5X-4200 |
| Memory bus | 64 bit | 128 bit |
| Memory bandwidth | 44 GB/s | 64 GB/s |
| Execution units (ALU clusters) | 2 | 5 |
| Shading units | 512 | 1,024 |
| FP32 floating point performance | 1.3 TFLOPS | 3.7 TFLOPS |
Quest 2 Vs Quest 3: Based On Controllers And Hand Tracking
Oculus has redesigned the controllers on the Quest 3, making them the most significant redesign for a mainline Quest headset to date. Quest 3 is compatible with Touch Plus and Touch Pro controllers, ensuring you can always get the best experience without breaking the bank.
The Quest 3 controllers feature LEDs embedded throughout the controller’s body, unlike the Quest 2 controllers with an LED ring around the outside. The Touch Plus’s LEDs can be followed by the six cameras of the Quest 3, just like the Touch controllers were followed by the Quest 2.
The Quest 3 Touch Plus controllers will have a lighter and more maneuverable design, and they won’t include a bumper ring that could damage your TV or other players if you get too close.
Also Read: Oculus Quest 2 Games
Meta Quest 3 Vs Meta Quest 2: Based On Games
If you consider upgrading to a Quest 3, you’ll be happy to know that it will have compatibility with all your favourite Quest 2 titles. Programmers will likely take advantage of the Quest 3’s advantages, which include a faster processor and new mixed reality features.
However, most games will likely debut on both platforms for now. Meta plans to continue the Quest 2, as it serves as the primary gateway device for the platform. The upcoming software update can give the Quest 2 chipset a 26% increase in CPU performance and a 19% increase in GPU speed. This update stabilizes the frame rate of the Quest 2 to accommodate the higher resolution.
What Does Both Have In Common?
Both the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 have the same design, cloth head straps with side rails, built-in speakers and battery life.
Which Is Best Between Oculus Quest 2 And Oculus Quest 3?
When it comes to gadgets, people usually consider the newest ones as the best. You simply cannot avoid it. The gap between Meta Quest 3 and Quest 2 will widen further as they add more mixed-reality experiences and features to Quest 3.
The Quest 3 nearly triples speed, features thinner and clearer lenses, offers a more comfortable wearing experience, automatically maps a room, and functions in the dark.
The Quest 2 remains a great option for those just starting with virtual reality but don’t want to spend much money. Depending on your requirements and available funds, you can choose between the Quest 2 128 and 256 GB.
Oculus will launch the Quest 3 this fall for $499 and offer users unbelievable, unique experiences they can’t find anywhere else.
