- People are posting videos of themselves wearing Meta's Quest 3 while going about their daily lives.
- The Quest 3 is a mixed-reality headset that lets users game, watch videos, and use the internet.
You might start seeing people wearing Meta's new headset around in the real world.
People are sharing videos of themselves cooking, shopping, and exercising in "mixed reality" with Meta's new Quest 3 headsets. The result looks like something out of an "Iron Man" movie.
Meta's Quest 3 is its first headset being marketed as an affordable mixed-reality device for its ability to let you play games, watch videos, and browse the internet while simultaneously viewing your surroundings. The headset costs $499-$649, depending on how much data storage you want.
X user @CixLiv posted a video of himself walking into a cafe and ordering while wearing the headset, which to onlookers might resemble futuristic ski goggles, and recorded a cashier's response.
"Ok don't be mad. But someone had to do it," he wrote in a post accompanying the video.
—CIX (@CixLiv) October 16, 2023
The coffee shop cashier in the video largely appeared unfazed by the customer wearing a headset, taking his order as usual. While the customer who recorded the video said in a follow-up post on X that the cashier "absolutely hated me," he later told Insider that was probably not "accurate" and was said more in jest. He said he later returned to the same cafe and found that the workers were all joking about the headset.
Though the device did garner @CixLiv some attention, he told Insider that he probably won't wear it out in public that often and that he mostly recorded the video of himself wearing the device to the cafe as a joke. He said the headset was too bulky and uncomfortable to wear on a regular basis.
Others with the new headsets are posting videos showing themselves wearing it while doing tasks around the house.
TikTok user @Kukurio59 posted a video of himself cooking while using the headset to watch a movie. He called the device "practical" because he said he could easily view the screen to multitask.
@kukurio59 Cooking in Mixed Reality is crazy #mr #mixedreality #oculus #vr #quest3 #cooking #virtualreality ♬ original sound - Kukurio
Several videos make the Quest 3 appear to be a multitasker's dream device. Reddit user r/LunchAndDinner shared a recording of himself watching a video while sweeping. The user also posted a TikTok video of himself using Quest 3 to game, watch "Rick and Morty," watch TikToks, and play Temple Run — all at the same time.
@lunchandvr This is what mixed reality was really made for #mixedreality #subwaysurfer #templerun #adhd #meta #quest3 ♬ original sound - Lunch
Though the Quest 3 is an improvement to previous models, it's still not perfect, according to some critics. A Threads user shared some issues they had while wearing the Quest 3 at New York Comic Con. He said real-world objects appeared warped when they got too close to the headset, for example.
Post by @jaymayo_vrtistView on Threads
Apple's answer to the Meta Quest 3 is the Vision Pro. The Vision Pro will offer higher-resolution screens than the Quest 3. That results in a more crisp and seamless viewing experience, according to early testers, but it's going to be seven times more expensive than the Quest 3.
The Vision Pro will let users video call, surf the internet, and watch videos. It will be set with two 4k screens and spatial audio. It's meant to give a high-end experience — at a high-end cost.
We have yet to see which headset buyers prefer because, while the Quest 3 launched last Tuesday, the Vision Pro is yet to be released. The Vision Pro is expected to hit the market in early 2024.