This is one of the best Virtual Reality headsets we’ve ever tried out and really opens up the whole idea of mixed reality to the masses.
Meta Quest 3 is the world’s first device to feature the new Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 technology and also boasts a 4K+ Infinite Display.
That means load times are lightning fast and you can view the 360-degree virtual world in incredibly crisp graphical detail.
The aim from Meta, Facebook’s overarching parent company, is to deliver a step-change in immersion from its previous device the Quest 2.
And it does that successfully, delivering a high quality, definitive VR experience without the need to connect to a console or PC that’s almost unrivalled in the industry.
While there are 500+ games to choose from on the Meta ecosystem, thanks mainly due to cross-compatibility to previous headset titles, I found the Quest 3 stand out in the more task-driven apps.
It’s full-colour passthrough mode allows you to see the room around you in crystal clarity thanks to some excellent cameras on the front of the device and bring in virtual elements to make the world around you a ‘mixed reality’.
Meta Quest 3 can automatically map your space and understand important elements like walls, furniture and objects so they can interact with the virtual world.
This opens up a lot of new possibilities for fun experiences that let you stay connected to the world around you.
Daily Star's newsletter brings you the biggest and best stories – sign up today
Throw a virtual ball in a game and watch it bounce off your actual wall. Need to dodge some incoming fire? You can duck behind your coffee table.
You can watch YouTube videos on a virtual screen a couple of feet in front of you while still seeing and interacting with friends and family in the room around you.
And you can watch immersive sports games ‘courtside’ or open a portal to another dimension inj a game right from the comfort of your living room—all while high-fidelity keeps your physical surroundings in sight with more than 10 times more pixels compared to Quest 2.
It’s a comfy headset too, feeling incredibly light on the head and with soft headbands around the top and side so there’s no rubbing when having longer stints in the VR world.
I liked the simple set-up, a quick sign-in to Meta’s internal user interface on a smartphone and we were being dumped into alien worlds, downloading cool free games like Gorilla Tag and perusing VR-specific videos that put you inside the telly, watching a cooking demonstration unfold as if you were in the room with the chef.
For newcomers who may be overwhelmed by it all, a simple double-tap to the side of the unit means to seamlessly transition between a fully immersive experience and a blended environment with virtual elements overlaid on your physical surroundings.
The library of games is incredibly impressive and trounces the likes of the relatively new PSVR2.
More than 100 new and upgraded titles are coming to Meta Quest 3 through the end of 2023.
And over half of those are brand-new apps and games, like the much-wanted Asgard’s Wrath 2.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 has a lacklustre story but multiplayer is good
Thanks to the backwards compatibility, you can play Quest 2 titles too – so popular games like Beat Sabre get a new life on the latest machine too.
And with Xbox Cloud Gaming coming to Meta Quest in December, you’ll be able to play Halo Infinite, Minecraft Legends, Forza Horizon 5, and hundreds of other high-quality Xbox games—all on a massive 2D virtual screen you can take with you anywhere.
Starting next year, Meta will also introduce ‘augments’ in the self-contained headset: interactive, spatially aware virtual objects that come to life all around you.
So you’ll be able to hang your favourite piece of art on an accent wall or a weather augment on your desk that alerts you before rain starts—and every time you put on your headset, these interactive objects appear in the same places.
You’ll be able to customise your space with augments like Instagram Reels, interactive music players and portals that let you quickly jump back into your favorite immersive VR games.
The Touch Plus controllers have ditched the tracking ring of the previous unit and added improved sensations with TruTouch haptic feedback.
That means you’ll really feel the kick of a gun in your virtual hands in a shooting game, or the rev of an engine in a race title.
They also have better ergonomics, so your hands move more naturally whether you’re working out with a VR personal trainer or traveling to new realms.
You can even explore without controllers, thanks to hand tracking and Direct Touch that follows your gestures, letting you use just your hands to find your way.
And let’s not forget the sound, two clever hidden spatial audio speakers positioned within the headband of the device push excellent clarity into your ears, meaning no need for restrictive earphones.
They’re 40% louder than before so you’ll hear plenty.
Overall, this is an excellent all-in-one virtual reality device. It’s fairly priced at £480 currently and you don’t need a console or PC on top of that to run everything the Quest 3 has to offer.
Visuals are excellent and the mixed reality option feels revolutionary in this space. We’re going to see some amazing new apps and games come out of this burgeoning tech field.
VERDICT 4.5/5
Source: Read Full Article