Should Meta Quest Pro Become Your Next Headset?
Dejan Gajsek
Meta Quest Pro initiates Meta's entry into high-end extended reality (XR) devices. So this device goes beyond just gaming and leisure to blend in more business-oriented and professional use cases.
To serve its ambitious design and functionality goals, Meta Quest Pro is the first device ever to use the Qualcomm chipset, Snapdragon XR2+. Snapdragon XR2+ leads the way as the first-ever XR platform to blend artificial intelligence and 5G to deliver advanced AR and VR experiences.
This review will consider the specifications, picture quality, performance, hand tracking, and controllers of this high-end extended reality headset.
Table of content
- Specs Overview and Price
- Meta Quest Pro Accessories
- Display and Picture Quality
- Performance
- Metaverse Capabilities
- Controllers and Tracking
- Quest Pro Partnerships and Apps
- Who is Meta Quest Pro For?
- Decide: Should Meta Quest Pro Become Your Next Headset?
Specs Overview and Price
Meta plans to release their latest extended reality headset, the Meta Quest Pro, on October 25, 2022, and it will price at $1,499.99.
This extended reality headset is available for pre-order now. The device draws its performance capabilities from its Qualcomm chipset.
The Snapdragon XR2+ gives 50% more power to Meta Quest Pro users compared to Meta Quest 2. In addition, this XR platform also improves thermal dissipation by 30%.
For example, Meta Quest Pro users will enjoy improved image processing thanks to the XR2+ that brings processing latency to less than 10ms for full-color videos in your mixed reality (MR) experiences.
This device’s design supports immersive experiences with core features like these:
- Storage: 256GB
- RAM: 12GB
- Sensors: five inside the headset and five outside
Although this is Meta’s most expensive headset, it justifies the price by providing all-around improvements and loading the device with more features to serve business audiences.
Meta thinks extended reality headsets will become commonplace and part of daily lives, like laptops and tablets, and the company has built the Meta Quest Pro with that vision in mind.
Meta Quest Pro’s advanced resolution allows users to mix reality (MR) to work on virtual objects in the real world.
Meta broadened its use case from gaming to business and creative applications. So this device includes virtual-world kits, and mixed reality (MR) features for team collaboration experiences.
Unlike previous Quest devices that focus on user interaction with pre-made or developer-controlled applications, the Meta Quest Pro emphasizes creative freedom for its uses. This mixed reality (MR) device embraces collaborative user experiences for real-world and virtual-world creators.
Meta Quest Pro Target Users
It supports users across multiple real-world fields, including:
- Trainers
- Engineers
- Designers
- Developers
- Entrepreneurs
But Meta Quest Pro also provides immersive virtual world features for metaverse users. This mixed reality (MR) headset targets enterprise, creative, and business users.
So, what specifications power these high-end features, and how are they different from Meta Quest Pro competitors?
See the table below for answers:
Meta Quest Pro Specs Compared Against Competitors and Meta Quest 2
HoloLens 1 didn’t make this list because Microsoft stopped supporting it in mid-2022.
Meta Quest Pro Accessories
A pack of Meta Quest Pro headsets comes with these items included:
- The headset
- Two controllers
- A charging dock
- One USB Type-C power adapter
- One charging cable for the controller
- A charging cable for the headset
- Two stylus tips
- Two partial light blockers
- A cable clip
- A protective cover
- Two wrist straps
- Cleaning cloth
Let's look at some of the most inspiring accessories on the list.
Compact Charging Dock
The compact charging dock lets you charge your Touch Pro controllers, Quest Pro headset, and other Meta headsets using a USB type-C connection. If you buy the Quest Pro, you’ll get the compact charging dock and USB Type-C.
You can buy the compact charging dock as a standalone device for $79.99.
Incase Carry Case
Meta Quest Pro comes with a carry-on case from Incase. This accessory has inner pockets and a custom-fit inner shell to safely keep your Meta Quest Pro headset. It also has a strong but lightweight outer shell to protect your device from the outside.
Image Credit: Meta
Your Incase carry case’s zipper is abrasion resistant. And the cover material is made from protective nylon material. This accessory goes for $119.95 and is available on the same launch date as Quest Pro.
Meta Quest Pro Full Light Blocker
This silicone full light blocker provides a facial interface you can magnetically attach to your Meta Quest Pro to give you a super-charged immersive experience.
Its standalone price is $49.99. It will launch about a month after the Meta Quest Pro, on November 22, 2022.
Meta Quest Pro VR Earphones
Quest Pro VR earphones let you block out noise from your surroundings so you can experience high-fidelity audio. This accessory perfectly matches the full light blocker, providing complete visual and audio immersion.
The earphones are separate—not connected. So you have the right and the left earphones connecting to either side of the device, so cables never cross one another in your field of view.
Image Credit: Meta
You can buy this VR accessory at a standalone price of $49.99, and it's available on the same launch date as the Quest Pro.
Other Accessories
Your Quest Pro comes with other accessories:
- Cable clip
- Protective cover
- Two wrist straps
- Cleaning cloth
- Charging cable for the controller
- Charging cable for the headset
- Two stylus tips
- Partial light blockers (the full light blocker is a standalone accessory)
Perks
When you buy the meta Quest Pro in its release countries, you’ll get these perks:
- Free delivery and returns.
- Meta Quest Warranty to cover any malfunctions or defects.
- A 30-day return window.
You can shop this virtual reality device in France (FNAC and Boulanger), Canada (Best Buy), the UK (Argos and Currys), and the USA (Best Buy).
Display and Picture Quality
Quest Pro makes playing VR games, using mixed reality, reading text, and engaging in any other visual experiences look better than you’ll experience in Quest 2.
The newer device has 10% more pixels per degree and a 37% increase per inch compared to the Quest 2. In addition, Quest Pro improved the full-field visual sharpness across views compared to Quest 2:
- Center view by 25%
- Peripheral region by 50%
The Quest Pro has a 130% full-color range improvement over the Quest 2.
Also, unlike the Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro external cameras come in high-definition, full-color to help users enjoy a more immersive mixed reality experience. This new capability means developers can explore more creative pursuits on Meta’s Presence Platform.
So instead of seeing the world outside your headset in black and white like in the Quest 2, the Quest Pro’s sensor architecture helps you view the physical world in high-resolution, full color in its natural state. In addition, Quest Pro’s passthrough cameras have 400% higher pixel details than Quest 2’s.
Quest 2’s design doesn’t serve non-business users or professionals. Meta Quest Pro fills that need. For example, furniture designers can use an Oculus app like Gravity Sketch or Arkio to create real-world models in their living rooms while collaborating in real-time.
Performance
The Meta Quest Pro is the first XR device to run Qualcomm’s latest chipset technology, the Snapdragon XR2+. This feature improves image processing by lowering latency to less than 10ms and lets users access full-color video passthrough for mixed reality experiences.
This chipset helps sustain power by 50% more than Snapdragon XR2 that runs on the Quest 2 headset. In addition, the XR2+ lowers thermal dissipation by 30%.
However, the screen refresh rate isn’t upgraded as Quest 2, and Quest Pro has a 90Hz frame rate, with Quest 2 already preparing to upgrade its refresh rate to 120Hz. Considering the extra power that the XR2+ provides the Quest Pro, Meta might introduce a 120Hz upgrade in the future without impacting the device’s battery life as much as it’ll affect the Quest 2.
Another benefit that the Qualcomm chipset brings to the Quest Pro is support for an 8K ultra-high-definition display at 60 frames per second (60fps) and 360-degree video. In addition, the XR2+ makes the Quest Pro able to support better-co-located experiences so that two or more users can collaborate or interact with the same objects in virtual reality in the same physical space.
This chipset supports concurrent perception technological capabilities for
- Hands tracking
- 3D reconstruction
- High pixel density
- Heads tracking
- Controller tracking
- Automatic room mapping
So developers can use Presence Platform’s Shared Spatial Anchors and Scene understanding to create virtual objects that can interact with a user’s physical space.
Metaverse Capabilities
Users can access a range of metaverse capabilities for work, play, or community engagement. In addition, the Meta Quest Pro helps users express their real-world personalities in their metaverse avatars.
This device uses eye tracking and Natural Facial Expressions—which estimate your facial movements using cameras—to give your avatar an authentic representation of your real-world self in the metaverse. This enables users to connect as themselves across multi-player applications.
Meta promises top-quality user privacy for its social presence features. So it takes these steps to ensure it delivers on that promise:
- The Natural Facial Expressions feature and eye-tracking capabilities are turned off by default
- Images of your eyes and face stay on the headset
- Those images are automatically deleted after processing
- Meta never accesses those images or shares them with third-party apps
If you’d like to learn more about how Meta processes your privacy, they have a dedicated privacy page.
The company plans to continue advancing the metaverse features of this device. They have even released a dedicated Movement SDK to encourage developers to build for the platform.
Controllers and Tracking
Users can expect a different controller from what they’re used to in Quest 2. Meta Quest Pro comes with all-new Meta Quest Touch Pro controllers that are more ergonomic and balanced. The device promises a more balanced hold than previous controllers and gives you a true sense of touch and motion.
The critical difference between this controller and previous ones is that the Touch Pro comes with in-built cameras—three sensors in each controller, independent of the headset.
This feature tracks the controller’s position in 3D space to give users the freedom to complete 360-degree motion ranges, supporting better self-tracking regardless of the VR app they use. Consequently, this device ensures stable tracking across all apps.
Meta worked hard on its goal of making these controllers feel like natural extensions of the user’s hands and with improved haptics for better sensory engagement. So it lets you control objects and experiences better with its precision pinch.
The Touch Pro is fitted with rechargeable batteries and Meta’s new TruTouch Haptics system to enhance the quality of feedback that users enjoy.
Since your Quest Pro comes with a charging dock and a 45 Watt USB Type-C power adapter, you won’t need to worry about running out of power even on the move.
The exciting part is that you don’t even have to use a Meta Quest Pro to get the benefits of the Touch Pro. In addition, you can buy and use Touch Pro on other devices, like the Meta Quest 2. A standalone pair goes for $299.99 and launches the same day as the Quest Pro.
Quest Pro Partnerships and Apps
Meta Quest Pro lets you connect with the apps you already work with through backward compatibility. So users don’t need to worry about losing their favorite games, entertainment, storage, or other applications.
Some of Quest Pro’s top partners include these:
- ShapesXR
- Wooorld
- Arkio
- Gravity Sketch
- Figmin XR
- Painting VR
- Tribe XR
- Smartsheet
- Immersed
- LastPass
- Adobe Acrobat
- Dropbox
However, users can find several applications for their needs, whether for Oculus Quest headsets or the metaverse apps.
Who is Meta Quest Pro For?
This virtual reality headset tries to be all-inclusive. So business users, professionals, non-business users, and gamers can use the Meta Quest Pro, but the device is intended to appeal to professionals and business users.
Meta intends to attract business users with Quest Pro’s collaboration features, mixed reality functions, design upgrades, and improved performance capabilities. They want to see this headset used for value-adding activities like these:
- Home design
- Product prototyping
- Teaching and training
- Business meetings
- Team and project collaborations
Quest Pro is the company’s signature product for virtual reality and mixed reality business and professional users. So, anyone can use this headset, but only businesses and professionals will get the full benefit and justify its $1,500 price tag.
So, how does this product compare to competitors?
Quest Pro vs upcoming Quest 3
Unlike Quest Pro, Quest 3 will be a direct upgrade to the Oculus Quest 2. Quest 3 doesn’t have a fixed release date yet, but market speculations suggest it will launch in next year, 2023.
In a recent interview, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, revealed that the Quest 3 would not be as expensive as the Quest Pro. He suggested that the price for the newer device would stay at about $300, $400, or $500.
Meta didn’t give any information about Quest 3 at the Meta Connect 2022 event. But we can expect it’ll upgrade Quest 3’s passthrough cameras to full color as it's done with the Quest Pro. It needs that feature to compete with other headsets like the Pico 4 from Bytedance that already provide full color passthrough cameras for a lower price-point headset.
Quest Pro vs Quest 2
The Quest Pro is for businesses and professionals, and the Quest 2 targets non-business users. And this user-targeting difference shows in the headsets’ technologies and price points.
Meta thinks of the Quest Pro as a wearable laptop for professionals and businesses, so it can to do more work, support more rigorous use cases, carry more applications, and power collaboration features better.
To match its high-performance needs, the Quest Pro features an advanced chipset, the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+, which cuts thermal dissipation by 30% and improves the headset power range by 50%.
For these reasons, the Quest Pro requires users to pay $1,000 more than the Quest 2.
However, Quest 2 users can benefit from Quest Pro’s upgrades, like the all-new ergonomically and technologically improved controller—the Touch Pro. In addition, interested users can buy this VR device at a standalone price. However, the best option is to wait for the Quest 3 to arrive.
Quest Pro vs Pico 4
ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is eating into Meta’s market with its Pico 4, released October 18, 2022, in 13 European markets as well as Korea and Japan. It sells for about $425.
Pico 4 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chip, just like the Quest 2. The XR2 is an older version of Meta’s Snapdragon XR2+.
Overall, Pico 4 seems like a competitor to Quest 2, as they target similar audiences and the TikTok one seems to focus on upgrading Quest 2’s features but not enough to match Quest Pro features. For example, Pico 4 doesn’t have face tracking, even though it features full-color passthrough cameras.
Quest Pro vs Valve Index
Like the Quest Pro, Valve Index targets professionals but this VR headset is open to non-business and for-leisure users too.
Valve Index’s standout feature is its platform agnostic. So applications you buy on this platform work across platforms—HTC Vive, Oculus or Meta, HTC Vive Pro, or HoloLens Mixed Reality headsets.
This is probably a real competitor of the Quest Pro as they target similar audiences. However, Quest Pro lags on frame rate as Valve Index’s frame rate stands at 120Hz with a 90Hz back compatibility option and an experimental 144Hz. Nevertheless, its pixels per eye is 1440 x 1600, which is better than the HoloLens 2 and as good as the Magic Leap headsets.
The headset and controllers cost $749, but you can add the base station to make a complete VR kit for $999. Valve Index controllers cost $279, and the headset costs $499.
So if you want a slightly affordable version of the Quest Pro and don’t mind sacrificing the better performance and audio-visual experiences of Meta’s latest VR machine, Valve Index might be a good choice but users should be aware that Valve Index is already quite an old device. It was released in June, 2019.
Decide: Should Meta Quest Pro Become Your Next Headset?
At this point, you don’t have to look too hard to see that the Quest Pro is the industry’s best product yet. Yes, you may point to one or two features that other headsets deliver better than this Meta’s headset, but overall, nothing is as good as this one in terms of features and pricing.
Pricing is going to be restrictive to most commercial users, so our advice would be to wait for Meta Quest 3 which is set to be released in 2023. If you really want color pass-through and facial tracking and you have the budget, the Quest Pro is a sleek and comfortable device waiting for you.
With their money-back guarantee to remove the risk of trying it out, this is one headset to experience, even if you plan to get your money back.
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