Zuckerberg Tries the Apple Vision Pro, Calls Quest 3 ‘the Better Product’

Earlier this month, the Apple Vision Pro became available for purchase, thereby taking the internet by storm. Carrying a price tag of a whopping $3,499, people automatically started looking for Vision Pro alternatives in the market. Now, to market one of the biggest alternatives, Meta (aka Facebook) CEO Mark Zuckerberg has taken to Instagram, revealing that he has finally tried the Vision Pro. He compared the Vision Pro against the Meta Quest 3, and well, he has some (spicy) thoughts.

In a short Instagram video, apparently shot via Meta Quest 3 passthrough, Zuckerberg starts off by saying that before trying the Vision Pro, he thought that the Quest 3 only brought better value for most people, given that it is seven times less expensive ($500 compared to $3,500). However, after trying out Vision Pro, Zuckerberg thinks that the Quest not only offers better value but is also “the better product, period.”

He goes on to talk about how the video that the viewers are seeing has been captured through the Quest 3’s high-resolution mixed reality passthrough tech. You can tell that, especially after a few browser windows and a couple of other tabs show up in the video for a brief moment.

Then, he emphasizes how the Quest 3’s lightweight (515 grams) body allows it to be more versatile in multiple scenarios, given that it is 120 grams lighter than the Vision Pro (600-650 grams). Further, he adds how you also don’t have to worry about wires, taking a dig at Apple Vision Pro’s heavy external battery pack. For your reference, Vision Pro’s battery pack alone weighs 353 grams.

Most importantly, since the Meta Quest headsets have been around for some time now, the Quest 3 includes a more robust app library and not only focuses on productivity apps. Quest headsets have some of the best VR games on offer. However, he does regard the Vision Pro as the better headset for entertainment purposes, thanks to its top-of-the-line micro-OLED displays. Zuckerberg does say that the Quest 3 has brighter displays.

Moreover, Mark refers to the Quest 3’s hand tracking to be more “accurate”, and how he prefers the physical controllers it comes with. Then, he subtly teases to possibly bring back eye tracking, like we first saw on the Quest Pro, because it makes sense afterall.

Finally, Zuckerberg goes on to talk about open and closed models. He does declare Apple’s closed model a clear winner in the mobile category. However, he takes us back to Microsoft’s PC days and mentions their open model was the winner. He connects the dots by saying that he “hopes” that Meta’s open model wins in the VR headset space, hinting at building an open ecosystem of sorts.

Although Zuckerberg said Quest has been here for quite some time now and offers better content libraries and so on, there’s something else to consider. This is Apple’s very first product, and going by Apple’s history, it seems more like a test product, which they will only further improve on.

With the next Vision Pro, you can only expect to see a cheaper product. Possibly, even a lighter and more optimized headset, giving Meta and the other industry leaders a run for their money. Nothing can be said for sure at this point, and only time will tell.