I've looked at VR and AR headsets for well over a decade, from Google Glass and the first demos of the Oculus Rift to peeks at the future of AR glasses and Android XR. Right now, VR has settled down to just a few players: Meta, Apple, Sony, Valve, HTC and Pico, with Google's looming Android XR partnership with Samsung waiting in the wings. In the world of AR and smart glasses, there could be a lot of changes coming: the Xreal One glasses, for instance, or the promise of Meta's Orion project.
But right now, VR is extremely good -- and still limited in how much it can do. I find my own use of VR headsets bouncing between Meta's Quest 3 and the Apple Vision Pro. But it's pretty clear there's one great VR headset pick of the moment, and it comes in two differently priced flavors.
What's the best VR headset overall?
The Meta Quest 3 offers mixed reality and improved display resolution and optics, and is $500 -- $3,000 less than the Apple Vision Pro. However, the newer Meta Quest 3S, a lower-cost version of the Quest 3 for $300, is an even better buy for entry-level VR adopters. I prefer the Quest 3, but there are plenty of people who will find the 3S to be a great choice for its price.
The Quest 3 and 3S both have newer, faster Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processors that produce better graphics and allow for higher-res color pass-through camera feeds than the Quest 2, and both have redesigned controllers. Both can create mixed reality effects by blending what the cameras see with VR graphics that are overlaid in the headset to look like AR. The Quest 3 has better lenses and a higher display resolution, but I prefer the feel of the Quest 3S eyepiece on my face, and the 3S also seems to have slightly better hand tracking in low light.
The Quest platform has plenty of side benefits: It has hundreds of games and creative or productivity apps, and several great fitness programs for effective cardio workouts. It can connect to PCs and even double as a work device if you have some patience. It also has hand tracking that works without controllers, but controllers are included to give you two input options. The Quests can even play “spatial” 3D videos shot on newer iPhones.
Read more: The Best VR Games to Play in 2025
Best VR headsets of 2025
Meta Quest 3 Best overall VR headset Like Crisp high-res displays
Improved new processor
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