Meta Quest 3 Review - The Best VR Headset To Date?!

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Is this the best all round and value VR Headset today?! Watch on to find out! 😀
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[@StartAndParkProductions]

Nice to hear from someone that sees the bigger picture when it comes to Meta vs Pimax

[@KarlGosling]

Exactly, the bigger picture is growing the VR market or we'll end up with no headsets and no games.

[@grzegorztomasiak]

I was waiting for this review! Watching!

[@TheTylerpoe]

Great video and totally agree. I’ve had mine for a little over a week and it’s already my favorite headset (out of 5) that I’ve owned. The pancake lenses are a game changer. Also comfort greatly improved with the elite battery strap

[@KarlGosling]

Spot on mate.

[@bigdoge]

I needed this. Thanks mate!

[@mariopires5022]

I received my Quest 3 yesterday and from the quick experiments I did I agree with absolutely everything Karl says. I was quite pleased with the experience in iracing using the cable. Very good review as always Karl, thanks.

[@KarlGosling]

It's just so clear!

[@syntheee]

Can you comment on the performance needs in Iracing? I'm worried my pc might be too slow for this (AMD 5600x, Nvidia 3700, 32 GB RAM) ...

[@mariopires5022]

@@syntheee With my hardware (12700K+ 3070Ti) the performance is good using 90FPS and link cable. I didn't try it via wifi. The only negative factor is the battery life. After about 1.30 h of use and connected with the cable I usually have about 55-60% power. I use Open XR and the image is good and stable. No tracking issues.

[@peterbowling7425]

Great review- thanks Karl, comfort wise, you might want to look into a halo strap as they don’t apply any pressure around your ayes as with the elite strap👍

[@ghostbustar]

I did the Marshalls headphone mod on my Quest 2 but not sure that's needed on the Q3. If you cup your hands over your ears so it helps to direct the audio into your ears and you will be amazed at how loud and clear the audio becomes. Obviously you can't play like that but it may be worth trying another mod that directs the sound into your ears better.

[@zombiauskis]

Was hunting for hp Reverb g2 for a wile and still pricy for second hand. Watch your video and ordered meta 3. Arriving Sunday and i cant wait to try in dirt rally 2 and acc. And hopefully missus will appreciate mix reality aswell. Pity it doesn’t have dvi cable to max up speed but hey. Thats why it cost what it cost i guess. First advice of your videos i took was Playseat challenge and now am on ally rig with dd and well down the rabbit hall. Keep up great informative content😉

[@Powney888]

Hey Karl, good review! Regarding your elite strap I have the same strap but with battery and it’s the first time I’ve owned a custom strap, never bothered with one for the quest 2 prior and I’ve been experimenting to get a good fit myself over the last week. What I can say for your comfort, try loosening the top strap completely, then put the front part on your face as to where you want it, dial it in at the back until both front and back cup your head and face and then tighten the top strap and then finish tightening at the back If need be. Also make sure the back part is indeed lower down as well like you mentioned. I tend to have mine not too tight as it gives the back of my head like a vice grip and gives me headaches hence all the adjusting I’ve been doing but having it just snug enough and not too tight makes a lot of difference. Hope this will help you get a better fit at the front, as mentioned I think you just need to loosen the top strap completely and get the fit exactly dialled in again top front and back and you should be fine.

[@tmakahavok]

Thanks for this review. Me and the mrs paid for a vr session and decided to get our own setup at home since it was good fun. We bought a pair of these and they are great.

[@KarlGosling]

Have fun!

[@jasonrebelo181]

i JUST GOOGLED THIS and then went to youtube and see you posted it 15 minutes ago HAH!

[@joel5949]

Let’s gooo been waiting for your review on this

[@KarlGosling]

Hope you like it!

[@WikiPeoples]

I have simply got to comment and agree that the clarity of this headset is stunning and is reason enough to upgrade. EDGE TO EDGE clarity, its fantastic. I find that I can even leave the headset barely toughing my face not super cranked onto it, because if it moves a little I'm not losing focus at all. Stunning, hats off to meta.

[@maegnificant]

It gets weirdly fuzzy and low res upwards on the lense though, for some reason...

[@alpha-gs2uz]

​@@maegnificantthat's foveated rendering at work, if you look into the inner on either sides with the other eye closed you can see it too, those are typically out of view so, it's just a way to claw back performance, you can install side quest if you want to get rid of it, but you'd have to configure it everytime the headset gets powered off, i.e after an update

[@maegnificant]

@@alpha-gs2uz ah I see, I thought the Quest 3 would not use that.

[@lmbue]

@@alpha-gs2uzI thought foveated rendering required eye tracking?

[@alpha-gs2uz]

@@lmbue it has what the quest 2 has, and it's just fixed along the very edges, hence why they see it as being lower rez towards the edge, plus it's an option in side quest too and can be disabled

[@CASFAN]

Seems a nice device. I run a PSVR2 and love that. I only really use it for GT7, which is superb, as games where you walk about tend to give me motion sickness. The cable is a pain for those games as well, but is fine for sim racing. Personally I have struggled to go back to the OLED tv after playing GT7 in VR.

[@HeliShed]

Excellent review Karl - thank you as ever.

[@KarlGosling]

My pleasure!

[@jeroen.feelders]

I received mine close after release-date and use it, as my previous Q2, only for PCVR in Assetto Corsa using Rift display mode. No SteamVR/OpenVR/OpenXR overhead. I tried 2 versions of Virtual Desktop but LinkCable in AC is superfast and clear. Q3 over Q2? Highly recommended!

[@midnightrocker7]

Awesome review, well done, the Quest 3 has got to be the best vr headset to come out since the Quest 2, I have been waiting all year for this headset to come out, thanks Karl

[@KarlGosling]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@samyosef]

Worthwhile the wait great review cheers.

[@KarlGosling]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@iphoneadamf]

This is the most informative review I’ve seen. 10/10

[@KarlGosling]

Thanks mate!

[@roberty21]

Good review I’m now going to buy one thanks. By the way you know you can move your head to see the passenger mirror and although triples might have fov of 200 degrees your eyes have about 114. I looked at a few reviews and didn’t get more than a couple of minutes in then came across yours and thought oh good Karl has done one and knew it would be good and honest

[@fsprimo]

From quest 2 to Quest 3 here and I have the same point of view described in this video. The straps, I'm using the original with a 300g conter weight attached to the back with Velcro. It makes the headset completely comfortable, I'm using for PCVR (flight simulator) so Cable its acceptable

[@robertmcmahon4549]

Glad to see someone else using a counterweight,it really improves comfort.some have strapped an external battery to the back to have the same effect

[@emptylyles]

It really does, I used tire balancing weights and just stick them in the back hidden and it worked great.

[@emptylyles]

Agree that it looks SO clear in comparison to Fresnel lenses. I've been using it for sim racing via cable and the following settings look amazing and really show the potential of the headset: Refresh Rate: 90hz Render Resolution: 5408x2896 (1.5x) Bitrate: 900 (If you get noticeable latency then 500) Encode Resolution: 4128 (or 3648) Super Sampling: 1.25 (left on 0 if game is too demanding, this is SS on top of render res) You can change these settings with Oculus Debug Tool or Oculus Tray Tool. I should mention I'm using a RX 6950 XT. Hope this helps!

[@VanGohman]

As an owner of the Pro, the display and lenses of the Quest 3 are a step up from the Pro. The only thing you are really missing is the local dimming and microdot display, so the image is a bit more washed out (not as much as Q2), but otherwise, the clarity is unmatched.

[@KarlGosling]

Yeah thats what I've heard from other Pro owners.

[@stachowi]

How do you connect to your PC? Wireless or wired and what are your settings? I have a Q3 and rrx4090 with wifi 6e, 7800x3d, 64gb, etc

[@dtz1000]

I also have a Pro and thinking of getting this headset. Is it worth the upgrade for PCVR?

[@VanGohman]

@@stachowi I do both wired Link and Virtual Desktop wireless. I only have a 5ghz wi-fi network, but it's really solid, with few drop outs at all. You just want to make sure your Quest is the only one attaching to your 5ghz network, make sure your PC is plugged into the Wi-Fi router with a good Ethernet cable, and you should be able to play without issues.

[@VanGohman]

@@dtz1000 The main thing you would be giving up by losing your Pro and getting a Q3 is the local dimming (darker blacks), the microdot display (more vibrant colors), and the Face and Eye tracking. Since the Pro didn't sell well, most syand alone developers don't have a huge incentive to utilize the face and eye tracking. I think Red Matter 2 may be the only stand alone title that uses eye tracked foviated rendering so far. If you have a VR Ready PC, that ecosystem may support it more, just because it's not the only face and eye tracking out there, so it's not like they are just supporting the Pro. One thing I really miss from the Pro is the ability to have background 2D apps playing sound while using other VR apps. It's just cooler to be able to play your own music while doing other VR related things. Other than that, the Q3 works really well for PCVR, but honestly, if you aren't going to be using the stand alone features at all, having a better processor doesn't really make things that much better for PCVR from a performance standpoint. The main upgrades for PC VR would be the panel resolution is better, and the pass through is much better than the Pro.

[@markb8734]

Thank you for this. A really thorough and well considered review.

[@KarlGosling]

No worries!

[@meejmuas8686]

My experienced discomfort with my Quest 3 with Elite Strap, lots of pressure on my forehead where I was thinking of never wearing it more than 30 minutes. But I found 2 ways to make this problem go away. The top strap very much needs attention, the longer the strap, the more pressure on forehead. The shorter the strap, the pressure moves to on your cheekbones. So you have to get the right length for you to angle the facial interface for balance. The 2nd thing was to add a battery pack of the headset with velcro straps, the weight moves from the front to closer to the center. These 2 things saved the elite strap from getting sent back to Meta

[@pumpkineater23]

The best Quest3 review on the internet! Great stuff.

[@KarlGosling]

Wow, thanks!

[@chanonmotheral8031]

Wow. I just read all the reviews. Some folks need to head to the pub, pound a few pints and relax a little. Karl, Great review. I am only a sim racer. Iracing in particular. I switched to VR 3 months ago. I had no space for triples, so VR was my only option. I’m currently using a Quest 2. What I think I heard from you out of all of this…..is that this a a huge step for from the Q2 as far as clarity. That is the one thing I really miss about my single monitor. I think a Q3 will be coming to my home soon. It’s expensive, but relatively affordable for VR You’ve helped me focus in on what I’d like to move into next for a mid range headset. Please keep up the great reviews and content. Folks like me appreciate them.

[@KarlGosling]

Yes mate that sums it up nicely... and I'll have a beer to that! :D

[@arminglf]

Oh mate THANK YOU! I was trying to find out if I was the only one noticing the SDE so clearly, and in fact I was always mentioning how you can so easily notice it on the Meta logo when it boots up! so thank you for finally confirming that I'm not crazy. Honestly all those reviewers saying that SDE is gone are a joke. Again, I appreciate your honest reviews.

[@KarlGosling]

Yeah I don't know why others say it's not there, it is! lol

[@robertmcmahon4549]

Funny i noticed it at 1st but now hardly ever notice it,especially when deep in a game

[@arminglf]

@@robertmcmahon4549 people talked to me like I was crazy, trolling or my headset defective every time I mentioned this on Discord or Reddit, now knowing that it's normal and the way it is I can try to ignore it and forget it's there.

[@Wobbothe3rd]

I'm def gettimg this, loved the Quest 2.

[@acurisur]

To solve your head strap comfort issues, I'd recommend changing the Elite strap to either the Bobo VR M3Pro or the Kiwi Design Quest 3 strap. Both of those are superior to the Elite strap with a hinged design.

[@raymondnist8770]

Thanks for the honest review - other reviewers said 'absolutely no screen door effect'. When I first put it on i was like WTF???? I saw it right away - still a very nice headset - I appreciate your honesty!

[@KarlGosling]

Yeah I honestly don't get why they say that, it's literally the first thing you see when the Meta logo pops up?!

[@curtis1397]

I just retired my Oculus CV1 from 2016 for the new Quest 3. I wasn't too impressed with the Quest 1 when it came out and figured I would give standalone some time to improve. Mixed reality has me super excited for the possibilities.

[@KarlGosling]

A great upgrade mate, I also kept my CV1 for a long time.

[@jpr7365]

Thanks Karl, wow for someone that bagged the Crystal, that's high praise for the Q3 visuals in ACC. Glad that I've got my Q3 at pre-release. I've got a 4080 but still struggling to get a gamechanging experience in MSFS though.

[@tomc1380]

Msfs even struggles with my rtx4090, lol!

[@KarlGosling]

Yeah MSFS is almost impossible to run well in VR no matter what GPU you have.

[@frankhardon]

Hi Karl. I’ve upgraded from a PICO 4 to Quest 3 and was quite surprised at how much better Dirt Rally 2.0 played on the Quest 3. I have a 4090 and 13900kf and can max out DR2 on Ultra and still get a solid 120fps with the quest 3. I used Virtual Desktop on PICO at Godlike for a solid 90fps on Ultra settings but it really looks so much better at 120fps on the Q3. Airlink had a bit of compression and didn’t look great but when I disabled it and used an after market cable I got for 20 quid and kept the Quest connected to my Wifi 6 router at 5 ghz as well, I got the full 120 fps at ultra settings and couldn’t see any compression. It looked super clear. I did a daily challenge which was dark and in the rain (the most taxing) for 7 km and didn’t drop a frame once just smooth gameplay the entire race. The cable I bought has a little box to plug the charger into for a trickle that just keeps the Quest at around 50% and I’m happy to use the cable as I’m sitting down in my rig. If I were buying from scratch the only difference I’d make is I’d go for a 6e router over just the 6 that I have as the Quest 3 supports 6e. Also, the AMVR ice silk facial interface increases to FOV a bit more over the stock one.

[@Ghofy]

W videos,. Defiantly my favorite headset from Ques 2 to the 3. The 3 lenses are so god and it seems the ram on Quest 3 runs to good on PC

[@OperatorPuski]

I am very very happy with this headset. The picture quality is excellent.

[@DCS.1-1]

The sim experience was exactly what I felt like when I bought the quest pro last year. I had zero intention of keeping it & after 1 hours of fucking around with setting’s and 3 hours of DCS I was sold & got rid of my reverb g2 They should really remake/update the PCVR interface it’s been absolute garbage since the rift s

[@wayneshephard]

That's the comment I was looking for, I have a G1 and have been considering the Quest 3, primarily for sim racing, are you absolutely happy with the Quest 3 over the Reverb?

[@tomc1380]

I bought my Q3/512Gb with the Elite battery strap and this helps balance it better and takes a lot of weight off my face and it’s now one of the most comfortable headset I’ve ever owned. Fortunately my battery strap is working well. Sounds like a few are having issues, maybe a bad batch.

[@WikiPeoples]

I was going to post this exact comment. The elite strap with battery nearly perfectly balanced the headset and it makes it easily one of the most comfortable headsets I have ever used. Honestly, I think it takes the cake as *THE* most comfortable hands down.

[@tomc1380]

@@WikiPeoples Ya, and because it's so well balanced I find I don't need to tighten it up much which also takes pressure off my face. Also easy to take on/off like a hat. Not like the Q2 battery strap that need to be loosen/tightened when taking off/on. Also seem to be getting 3.5-4 hours total runtime with msfs, so plenty for me.

[@wayneshephard]

Some great content here, most questions I had were answered, I do think you could have excluded some rambling and repetition and don't it in 20 minutes but i know how hard it is to cram your whole story in after fiddling with such hardware for such a long time. I'm running a Reverb G1 and while it's pretty good in iracing the Quest 3 is something I've considered for ages, just never seen a true comparison that sold me on it

[@neo_265]

Another great detailed review....thanks Karl. I use a Rift S for PCVR but love the look of this.

[@KarlGosling]

Would be a BIG upgrade mate!

[@neo_265]

Do you notice any difference in video quality? The Rift S is pure display port so I found it clear and lag free. I had hit and miss with a Quest 2 thats all. @@KarlGosling

[@eg-xf5ic]

@@neo_265 I have a rift a as well and the improved video quality that you allegedly (it looks worse to me) get with the rift s does not matter at all compared to the lenses and resolution of the quest. After getting the quest 2 (will be getting a quest 3 soon) going back to the rift s is awful.

[@neo_265]

@@eg-xf5ic maybe I should give it another try, maybe it’s been improved since the early Beta days.

[@crumbsNbass]

Thx for the review Karl.

[@KarlGosling]

No worries!

[@lukeyt31]

Funnily enough I'm watching this video on a quest 3. Good video like always :)

[@KarlGosling]

So clear! :D

[@Wilayaat]

Great review as always. Somehow I missed the original announcement that the Meta Quest 3 will work with XBOX Cloud Gaming from next month. I can't wait!

[@nicki9knuckles]

Awesome review/overview Karl!

[@KarlGosling]

No worries!

[@LFOD1776]

Best value on the VR market right now. The clarity is a big step up compared to my Quest 2. I use it for flightsim, but I have to say when those cute little aliens bust through your walls in AR, it is a trip!

[@KarlGosling]

Agreed mate!

[@robw3655]

Got mine yesterday, and have to say it absolutely blows my old Pico 4 out of the water. It's massively better in every area to be honest. The image clarity is stunning, HL Alyx looks absolutely mind-blowing. The Pico was balanced nicer, but I've bought a Maecker Elite strap whici is really nice and has made it comfortable for 2HR sessions. I love mine.

[@robw3655]

Wanted to add that I'm using it with a Netgear RAXE300 router, running Virtual Desktop on a 5800X3D/6800XT and get around 25-30ms latency. PCVR is fantastic with this headset.

[@KarlGosling]

Pretty much my experience too mate!

[@CJ-uh8bk]

The point you made with the displays is spot on, when playing in VR clarity and sharpness is everything, OLED’s deep blacks and colours are amazing but they’re more of a bonus in VR, clarity is really what immerses you in VR, so Resolution and Clairty overall is probably the most important thing in VR headsets next to comfort

[@KarlGosling]

Yes I agree 100% mate.

[@Raceeverything]

Loved the review, can you try and get your hands on the Bigscreen beyond and compared that to the Q3 and pico 4 for sim racing 🙏

[@TheMarkhhuk]

I too am interested in this, vr for me is only pcvr sim racing and I can't use lcds due to headaches so need oled and I'm currently on my quest 1 and cv1, beyond looks promising but it's expensive

[@SimplifyingIT]

100% agree with Karl. I have been in the VR world since you could put a Samsung phone in a crappy headset and use Trine to play PC games through your mobile phone. I have owned OG Vive, Samsung Odyssey+, G2, Pimax 8k, 8kx, Pico4 and tried my mates Crystal. Yes the Crystal's display is higher however, the Quest 3 running through my 4090 with VD maxed out on AV1 10bit and Wi-Fi 6 at 160hz is the best headset to date period. If your on the fence and already have the hardware to run it..... get the damn thing ASAP

[@KarlGosling]

My thoughts exactly mate!

[@atriusvinius319]

What about Pico 4 it has almost the same lenses and resolution

[@TheCameltotem]

Damn might jus try it! Tested odessy+ but was not impressed. Big difference from that one?

[@SimplifyingIT]

@atriusvinius319 it's a night and day difference between to Q3 and Pico4, although the specs of the lenses are the same they are not the same quality or image clarity. I sold my Pico 4 a few days after my Q3 arrived.

[@SimplifyingIT]

@@TheCameltotem oh my lord, the difference is like going from a 1980 car to a brand new car. As long as we are talking about PCVR and that hardware to Max it out. We are talking about multiple generations of hardware improvements from the last time you tried a headset.

[@demetrisyianni9175]

Thank you Karl. Excellent review as always. One question, which cable does one need for pcvr on iracing. I believe the original link one is around £90? So expensive! Something with enough data transfer bandwidth (link is 5gb?) and a cable that also charges/maintains charge as you play?

[@LarsJ1977]

Not buying anything before reviews of the Pico 5, but I'm happy that this impressed you. Shame about the lacking comfort for you, I hope you find a solution.

[@andrebrizan511]

Thank you for your review. Can you share your views when you upgrade your router? I want to choose the best router with WiFi 6e.

[@MrDazTroyer]

The only vr KZbinr I trust to give me a non bullshit review.

[@KarlGosling]

Cheers mate!

[@caballete0075]

This is the review I was looking for to buy the Quest 3 until the Index 2 comes out. Pimax too big, Aero 2 years old technology, Beyond new company and resale will be a problem. Quest 3 price wise, graphics, lens, new features is a plus. As a sim racer Thanks for this video! 😊

[@KarlGosling]

Glad I could help!

[@SnakeHelah]

Good point about the beyond. I also cba to invest so much money into base stations and controllers + the headset + its more expensive in europe + i would need lens inserts

[@caballete0075]

@@SnakeHelah I have the controllers and the base stations even thou I’ll go with the Quest 3. I feel that the Beyond is hype for the form factor and the Oled. That company have to prove themselves. By the way because of my opinions they kick me out of their discord channel!!😂😂😂

[@WarbirdPhoenix]

I waited till the virtual reality and mixed reality became a practical reality (yes,the word of the day is "reality" 🙂 ) and as the saying goes,good things come to those who wait,and i'm so glad I did. A great intro headset for stand alone or pcvr to the world of vr/mr.

[@jimbo121]

Hey dude you should do some AMS2 VR content! That game will surprise you on Quest 3. I was blown away doing a race in the rain at spa.

[@Wooskii1]

Thanks, I was waiting for your review and I'm happy to see it having a good start... Are you getting any of the reported battery problems? (Draining fast even when plugged into wall/ PC/ battery while charging and playing. Battery banks stop draining at >50%, Headset shutting off between 30% and 60%) I'll be coming from the Quest 1, I skipped the Quest 2 because, other than resolution, it seemed like a downgrade and my IPD is over the recommended range. I've been waiting so long that I built a PC and upgraded every part besides the case and OS drive, but I won't be disapointed with a $500 standalone headset (that's apparently better than an Index) even if I upgrade in a year. Great review 👍 I promise I'll try to use your link when I'm ready if I can't just grab one off the shelf of a local shop (I'm too impulsive to wait for shipping, sorry)

[@KarlGosling]

No mate, but I've never used it powered, always start my play sessions with a full charge and end when it's flat.

[@benoitparadis602]

nice vid as always . the FOV looked like you were far from the whell and even further from the instrument panel was it really like that ? thanks .

[@KarlGosling]

What you see in the monitor has no reference to what you see in the headset mate no.

[@Lutonboy]

I've been waiting for this one...

[@wynarator]

Karl, please let me know if its worth upgrading from G2, Im very curious of your opinion as you have tried so many HMDs.

[@DownToRace]

I’m looking at upgrading from my Rift S. One thing I’m conscious of is the added possible headache of battery life that I don’t currently have to worry about. What is the battery life like with the Quest 3. Can you get 3-4 hours of constant use out of it (with the link cable) and how long does it take to charge?

[@christopherfrost7041]

Great video as always. Packed with useful information. Can't wait to try out 72hz on PCVR to see if I get a bump in framerate. 60hz was too low for my stomach. Doesn't the 3080 support AV1? You mentioned 40-series for AV1. I have a 3090 and plan on squeezing another year or three out of it. Thanks mate :)

[@KarlGosling]

Yeah 60hz is too low for me also. Sadly only 40 series cards support AV1 :(

[@sam.e7175]

Would be interesting to see your opinion/review on the bigscreen beyond, if there's ever a chance for you to get your hands on one.

[@KarlGosling]

I'm sure the visuals are great but it's very niche, an expensive headset that then needs additional controllers and base stations will not appeal to the masses like the range of Quest headsets... very different objectives.

[@azrabain8210]

You should have bought the Elite strap with battery like I did because the battery weight counter balances the front weight. I recommend doing an exchange

[@KarlGosling]

I don't need the extra weight or play time mate.

[@DONKODONK]

Hey Karl, glad you're enjoying the Quest 3. I just received a Quest 3 and its my first headset. Games and everything look amazing in VR. But in passthrough my headset looks grainy and bad even with great lighting. I have 6 floor lights with bright cold light bulbs and 5 ceiling pot lights. So the lighting is amazing. But I cant read anything on my phone or computer screen. Even the large writing on a dish soap bottle is hard to read. I have read that some people have returned up to 5 units and finally received one that looks good in passthrough. Maybe I'll return mine in the return window and cross my fingers I get a good one. Much Love. Looking forward to racing in my rig in VR.

[@FG-td4vs]

Nah man, thats completely normal for passthrough

[@adamfromabove84]

I've seen the same. And mine is grainy. Nothing like some usa youtubers. I think it's a known problem, but I don't understand how /why they are different if software and hardware specs are the same

[@maegnificant]

​@@adamfromabove84i dont think it is different at all. That's just how it looks. Some people incidentally just have the perfect lighting placement and sight ability to cope

[@KarlGosling]

Yeah as I said in the video it's not that good, no VR headset is.

[@ehjhey7]

I think in terms of slimness I'd give them a pass on the 40% claim because you technically can use it without the interface (I actually am preferring this way with a halo strap)

[@grayzedynamics]

This review makes me want to try VR again. Just get motion sick. Maybe I'll get one, try and see how it works. Have a 4080 so I am sure it would run nice.

[@KarlGosling]

It would run great on a 4080 yes mate! Motion sickness is something that either gets better with time or doesn't, I used to suffer really bad but am much better now.

[@ThePerks2010]

I've not been back to vr since trying gt sports back in the day and nearly hurling by the second corner 😂 this has piqued my curiosity again tho especially not having to trail endless cables anymore

[@grayzedynamics]

@@KarlGosling glad to hear it's gotten better. Had a PSVR for PS4 and son of the games were fun. That AR game you showed loons like fun.

[@grayzedynamics]

@@KarlGoslinggot the Quest 2 for a gift, too blurry so paid the difference and got the Quest 3, so much clearer. Just the alien space game was fun. Thx Mate

[@sambigbear]

Next question. Do you have any comparison let's say to Reverb G2 in PC performance wise or even against Pimax Crystal. Just asking because not anyone has 40xx GPU

[@tubebaler]

Another great review Karl, I've watched many from your channel, always very informative & clear cut! I have a Zotac 3060ti 8Gb dual GPU & a wondering what I can expect from this using Q3, will i be able to do Ultra settings as you have on 3080, how different might it be? Appreciate your view on this, thanks again mate!

[@tubebaler]

I forgot to add that I've been running an old Oculus CV1.

[@KarlGosling]

No mate you will not be able to run Ultra with your GPU, all those extra pixels to push make modern VR headsets very demanding.

[@tubebaler]

@@KarlGosling Thanks Karl, would I perhaps get better results from my 3060ti with the Pico 3 neo Link?

[@ACFUN34]

I returned the Quest 3 and went back to my Rift S wich is much better for PCVR sim racing. Quest 3 had so many issues with link connection , bad compression artifacts in link mode, 42ms latency vs 29ms on Rift S . Quest 3 is a great standalone vr headset but not a PCVR headset and with that latency deff not for sim racing.

[@KarlGosling]

Latency will vary massively depending on your PC specs, connection method and in game settings.

[@Azurantine81]

I know this is a slightly aged video now but it's been great to get your perspective on the Quest 3. I will be picking it up next week for use in sim-racing and am quite excited for it as it is rated highly by everyone. The cost of Apple's latest headset is a joke. Great review as always Karl, cheers.

[@KarlGosling]

Value for money and clarity of lenses this really can't be beaten right now.

[@Nicsos123]

What connection type do you use, to use your Quest 3 as PCVR?

[@michaelpickford7298]

Gday Karl when you talk about a dedicated router for the pc is this just adding one between ie the wall socket and the PC for a new network or something different. Been away from VR for a while but looking at getting back in eith the Q3. Thanks for your honest take on it.

[@KarlGosling]

From your Ethernet PC port to be used just for the Quest yes.

[@Michael_H_]

A question Karl: I still have the the TP-Link Archer AX10 Router that you suggested in a video a while ago. I get solid 1200mbps on Virtual-desktop with the Quest2, but with the Quest3 the speed dips a lot, sometimes to half of it, while the router is just 2 meters away. Do you still have that router and do you experience that too?

[@KarlGosling]

I do still have that router and it's still a solid 1200mbps for me, unless nothing is changing (standing still in a static environment for example) but thats how it's always been.

[@SimVRRacing]

I was really impressed with the PCVR link cable as ran a really smooth 90fps with no judder. Just the 8bit colour gradient in the sky was ever so slightly visible, but I was impressed overall and thought the colours were great for an LCD. Unfortunately after going through three headsets, all with various issues I had to give up. My last one had terrible mura and dead pixels which is a shame. Still think Pico neo 3 link for PCVR is better overall, and pico 4 definately wins for comfort.

[@KarlGosling]

Maybe all manufacturers should step up their QC? Dead pixels are a very easy thing to check for. If you use VD you can use 10bit and of course with a 40 series card AV1 too.

[@zakariya5110]

I have the pico4 and q3 currently, q3 has nice res and sweet spot but terrible binocular overlap which strains my eyes and I can see the edges of the lenses, how do you compare the neo 3 link to the pico 4? It seems like the neo 3 is the way to go, whats the sweetspot like compared to pico and the overall res (fyi i strictly sim race and have a 3090)

[@SimVRRacing]

@@KarlGosling yeah 10bit av1 looked great, but my router is downstairs. If I'd have kept it I would have probably moved the router closer.

[@eSKAone-]

Get an ultra violet floodlight for your room. For your VR headset it will be like daylight but your eyes can't see it, so no leakage 💟🌌☮️

[@MrBigpappaT]

Great video as always, would you recommend this for a quest 2 owner? I only use mine for sim racing

[@KarlGosling]

If you want a larger FOV, sharper, clearer image with better colours and audio... yes!

[@MrBigpappaT]

​@@KarlGosling bought 😅

[@SeriousBoot]

I ordered the 512gb version a while back, has yet to arrive here in Europe. Hopefully it gets resolved at the end of the month. Thank you for the review.

[@SnakeHelah]

my 128gb order got lost and they are not willing to refund me. So i just bought another one from a retailer and ill have it soon, but im mad at meta for refusing to refund an order I didn't even receive. they also state they dont charge money until the order is ready to dispatch. But the delivery date was 14th and I got the wrist straps... Meta support told me "return it once you get it" but i never got a shipment notice or that the headset itself was shipped lmao.

[@SeriousBoot]

that's crazy, hope you'll get it sorted.@@SnakeHelah

[@SnakeHelah]

Still trying to get it sorted. Just constantly fighting with support and they keep telling me "specialist team will contact you" for about a week now with no one reaching out.@@SeriousBoot But hey. At least im getting my quest this week from another retailer! Honestly the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth regarding actually buying this prdoduct from Meta since they dont seem to particularly care about customer service ansd once you do have an issue like I did here im basically fucked.

[@TheNielsAlmelo]

thinking of upgrading my quest 1 now. I just haven't really used my quest 1 that much, as I am lacking playspace

[@victornin7505]

Great review as always. Do you know if a i7 13700k 4070 ti will do it for either the Q3 or Q Pro?

[@KarlGosling]

That would run either pretty well but not maxed out.

[@SaccoBelmonte]

Try wearing the back of the elite strap a bit up. The fabric strap (still waiting for the M3 to M2 retrofit kit) is awful if you wear the back low. Now since I cannot use my M2 strap I tried using the fabric one a bit higher and it has been totally fine for the last 6 sessions.

[@KarlGosling]

For my head the front then drops onto my nose! lol

[@SaccoBelmonte]

@@KarlGosling Then wear it even higher?. At some point it should prevent it from dropping. Good luck! :)

[@FilthyCasualRacing]

So here is my question. Is the Quest 3 better than any of the other stand alone headsets that are designed specifically for PCVR. I have a quest 2 and there is for sure some latency, but is the latency any better than the other PCVR specific headsets out there like the Valve Index or HTC Vive Pro 2 or any of the Pixmax offerings? Also comparatively is the picture any less crisp in the Quest 3 than the PCVR specific headsets?

[@KarlGosling]

A dedicated wired PCVR headset will always have lower latency and potentially a better image, but older headsets like the Valve index are blown away by the resolution and lenses of the Q3, in fact there is nothing on the market right now with better lenses, clarity and overall image quality than the Q3 if you have a PC to get the most out of it IMO.

[@dannyburnside739]

Hey Karl, have you used the Quest 3 with full motion on your rig? If so, how was the experience?

[@KarlGosling]

Same as any other VR headset mate, all works fine.

[@Vinnie83]

Hey Karl! "I have a question about VR racing that someone among you might be able to answer. Currently, I race with triple screens. If I connect a VR headset, I see in videos, that the game is still is being rendert on the monitors. In this case, are you not putting extra load on your GPU by rendering on both the monitors and the VR headset, or am I mistaken?"

[@KarlGosling]

It should only mirror what is being displayed in the headset so almost no additional load, it is not being rendered twice for example.

[@doubledipdave]

Good pitch, got one on its way 👍

[@andym5538]

Does this still require the resolution to be ran at like 1.7x to allow for the barrel distortion? Im wondering how high the effective resolution is in comparison to quest2 with the res cranked up (eg if this doesnt need the 1.7x res, is this operating res comparable). Given im using my quest2 at 1.7x, its already pushing the limits of my 3080ti

[@KarlGosling]

Yes mate thats how all VR headsets render to get close to the native panel res after applying barrel correction, you would need a 4080 or 4090 to get the vert best.

[@trevorjlewis]

Hi Karl, another entertaining and informative review thank you. Can I ask this, taking aside your displeasure of tethered headsets even for Sim Racing (my preferred gaming). Although I don't know where 479 quid Quest 3s are for sale. I see 600-700 Euro ones on AmazonDe where I shop as I'm abroad. Which headset still gets your vote for best all round performance? Q2, Q3, Pico or HP G2? You often mention the HP G2 with a certain amount of fondness. I have here a Rift S (which I really must put in it's box and try to sell) and a Quest 2. I started out with a CV1 seems so long ago. My reason for the initial question is I find the Quest 2 more than a little annoying for it's continuous updates and constant play area resetting every time because I'm tethered (2 hours battery isn't enough) The Rift S although with lesser quality screens than Q2 is actually for me, far more user friendly especially as my glasses fit inside it and it is always ready, no dicking about. I am using the Quest2 now and the Quest 3 looks to be a decent upgrade, but is the G2 as a tethered headset still a contender?

[@KarlGosling]

For sim racing only and if you don't mind the tiny sweet spot then yes the G2 is still what I would recommend for a wired headset.

[@trevorjlewis]

Cheers Karl

[@micmoyles]

Thanks for the review Karl, great video! Can you explain a little more how you connect the headset for SIM racing please? Ive tried ACC over steamVR using wireless and the framerate is unusable, so Ive ordered a cable but I didn't see a cable when you were on ACC in the review?

[@KarlGosling]

I used Virtual Desktop (so wireless), if you're frame rate is low it's either because you have a poor WiFi connection or your settings are far too high.

[@SimplifyingIT]

You need/ want a 4090, and you absolutely need a WiFi 6 router or access point and assign a dedicated SSID for the 5ghz channel using 160hz. Now you want virtual desktop running AV1 10bit codec. You should have a pretty solid bit rate of 2400mb. The rest is tweaking graphics settings and SS.

[@V8chump]

Karl could you tell me if it seems to be more demanding to run on pcvr? Would I notice a performance hit in pcvr coming from the quest 2?

[@KarlGosling]

It can be because the maximum render resolution is higher... but you can just run it at the same RR you did you Q2 if needed.

[@zaelu]

Good review but too few comparisons with the Pico 4 that I have. Pico 4 has color passthrough, it would be nice to know how Quest 3 actually improves versus Pico 4. Also the image quality... besides the colors.

[@KarlGosling]

Pico 4 pass through is horrible, no depth sensor... The rest is in the review.

[@zaelu]

@@KarlGosling Thanks, good to know about passthrough!

[@maximilliank6339]

Would it run well with a 7800xt? With the latest AMD drivers? Thanks for the review and your reply on my previous comment. Was seriously considering a pico 4.

[@KarlGosling]

Should run about as well as it does on my 3080 I think mate.

[@maximilliank6339]

@@KarlGosling thanks 👍

[@deesee76]

For someone who have never experienced PCVR before, Quest 3 is a good entry point for me in terms of price. It is a pain to setup, there is no doubts about it. Different PC games prefer different encoder... Some runs best on Oculus Link, some only runs in steamVR and some people use Virtual Desktop. Personally, I stick to the Oculus and SteamVR and sometimes, use OpenComposite to get more out of the visuals and performance. After 2 months of mucking around with the quest 3, I can say only a few racing sims run with at an acceptable performance and level of visual - namely iRacing , F1 22, Automobilista 2 and Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC took me a long time to figure the best settings in Oculus Debug Tool and in-game graphics setting). Another game I like playing of late is Le Mans Ultimate but I cant get it to work (pixelated mess), F1 23 does work using SteamVR but F1 22 runs and look a lot better. Be prepared for a serious visual downgrade compared to playing on a monitor. At a hardware level, aside from the lense, I wish I knew the spec to look in a VR headset is "resolution per eye". I speculate the problem is with bandwidth. When I use a 4K display over HDMI2.1, the cable bandwith theoretically tops out 48Gbps, for the Quest 3 using a oculus usb c cable, I only get 3Gbps as even though I have USB C 20Gbps ports. I think the VR encoders have to compress 48 to 3Gbit of data, that's a lot of compression and no wonder I keep complaining about the visuals. Someone, please correct me as I want to learn more about this. Right now, until these headset supports native 4K per eye with no compression, and game devs actually invest in optimising for VR, I will stick with the Quest 3. Rather than paying a crazy amount for a proper highend 8K/10K VR headset, I might as well get a Samsung g9 57 inch curved monitor for my sim racing rig and call it quits. Sure, I will lose the immersion offered by the Quest 3 but there are just too many variables to deal with for PCVR gaming.

[@johnadam5702]

Thanks again Karl. You must be getting popular now as this review attracted some interesting comments 😂🙃😜

[@KarlGosling]

My reviews usually do! 😆

[@itowmyhome797]

Thank you

[@sephiroth4543]

I also agree, I am a VR pixel snob so I am always disappointed when a company releases a headset with less resolution than 2500x2500 in today's market but I can say I am really impressed with the overall display quality, colour , FOV, shape, weight, controllers and edge to edge clarity for the price. This is the best headset I have ever seen and I have had a lot of previous headsets such as the Quest 2, Pro, Focus 3, Pico 4 and Reverb G2. I alsotested the Crystal which was so heavy, even though is had good clarity in the middle the edges were still blury. I can't understand why Pimax can't use a panel like the one found on the Quest 3. I think the discounted Aero is way too expensive even now as the FOV isn't so great, you still need to purchase controllers, lighthouse trackers and the Pimax is disgustingly heavy, the QC is terrible on the Pimax as well. What impressed me the most was it costs less than half the price of the Quest pro but twice the headset and the moced reality stuff is out of this world. Meta does some magic with their lenses. I think all other headet makers need to take notice. What makes this headset so good is the price you pay for all that tech. It makes Pimax look like a stupid company. The Crystal should be £999 max and the weight should have been sub 600g. Another huge advantage of this headset is the potential mixed reality apps, superb cpu and all those updates we are going to get. I am also excited about Vision pro as it will push all the other headset makes but I am a bit warry about the FOV of that device and the weight.

[@KarlGosling]

Totally agree mate! Oh and high res is great if there is a GPU to run it well of course!

[@OperatorPuski]

Very very few reasons to consider Pimax anymore. The Crystal was obsolete by launch in form factor alone. Reputation and Support experience questionable at best

[@nicholasmarshall3191]

Looks great! What is holding me back is the fear of VR motion sickness.

[@KarlGosling]

Yeah for some it's a deal breaker, maybe pick on up on Amazon so you can return it if you don't get on with it?

[@VRFlightSimGuy]

Karl, I'm not sure what stuff you're smoking, but the Crystal and Aero (hell even the Reverb G2) is MUCH crisper for PC VR due to the native DP. I do agree though, the pancake lenses are the best I've ever seen from any VR headset. But this must not be confused with image quality and clarity. Maybe it's not so important for Sim racers, but for flight simulation it is immediately noticeable when looking at cockpit gauges. Also by the way, the Crystal has an XR2 Gen 1 processor and it has QLED panels, not Micro OLED. Regardless though, the Quest 3 is a phenomenal headset for the money. Thanks for the content and take care!

[@KarlGosling]

I'm not smoking anything! lol You are comparing WIRED PCVR headsets to a wireless one, you need to be apples to apples mate, so Pico 4, Quest 2 etc. as I am. As for the Crystal, maybe if it didn't have BD, CA and poor edge to edge clarity.

[@VRFlightSimGuy]

@@KarlGosling Well unless I'm Smoking something, you do refer (and to some degree) compare the Crystal with the Quest 3 in this video. I've not noticed any distortions in the Crystal and in fact actually, there is some with the Quest 3. But the bottom line is, for high end PC VR simulation experiences, display port always wins.

[@fireonmytarget8937]

Karl thank you for the review. I just told my wife this is all I want for Christmas :) I'm using a quest 2 right now. I am only playing Assetto Corsa at the moment. During nighttime races, chrome reflections and panel gaps (example is the edge of trunk lids) look really weird. They are more of a white line than a realistic reflection. Almost like the panel edges are "glowing" white. I'm not sure if it's a settings issue with AC (I've been playing with a bunch trying to figure this out) or a limitation of the quest2. I also don't like the way some chainlink fences look, which I think might be a related issue. Do you think the quest 3 upgraded displays would help with this?

[@KarlGosling]

Without knowing your PC spec and what settings you're using I cannot say mate sorry!

[@fireonmytarget8937]

@@KarlGosling Update.. I got a quest 3 yesterday lol My wife had bought me an Apple watch for my bday that I cannot take into my work building... so we swapped it for a new headset Reinstalling windows now, got some strange VR gremlins the last couple of days PC is a 13900k and 4090, I have AC maxed out as far as I can tell and some reflections just look junky... very hard to describe it I'm going to start fresh and see if I can figure out what causes this weird issue Other than the white reflections on some cars, the Q3 headset looks so nice very immersive

[@WTFISTHISSHIT4567]

10:05 I think adjusting the top strap would have sorted this?

[@JB_2027]

Quick question, with the quest 2 I needed one of the controllers close to me, even though i wasnt using them using my rig...do you still need the controllers once youve set up the Oculus link?

[@KarlGosling]

Not unless you need to do something with it mate, you shouldn't with the Q2 either.

[@JB_2027]

@@KarlGosling thanks for replying, i found that if the controller wasnt close to my rig then i would see the border/barrier lines appear while i was playing games in VR even though i was seated.