Meta Quest 3 Review – I Guess I’m A VR Guy Now

I’ve never been a VR person. My only previous experience with the medium was when I was working at GAME in the UK and testing a PSVR for a trade-in. It brought me out in hot sweats and made me feel violently nauseous. The experience put me off VR for the best part of seven years, but it’s always something of a what-if for me. Rave reviews for the likes of Half Life: Alyx and Beat Saber and constant low-level chatter on social media have meant that I’ve always teetered on the cusp of picking one up.

However, while I hesitated and never took the plunge, Meta came knocking, and I had the opportunity to delve deep into the virtual world, and I guess I’m a VR guy now.

Easy Set Up

I’ve set up enough consoles in my time to know there can be a few finicky steps, and I was a little apprehensive when unboxing the Quest 3 that things would be even more frustrating. I was wrong. Sure, I had to create a Meta account, but aside from that, it was a breeze.

The controllers connected automatically, the headset was pre-charged and pre-assembled, and half of the process could be completed through the Meta Quest app. There were a few minor additional steps, like creating my boundary and adjusting the lens spacing, which could be easily done by rotating a wheel on the bottom of the headset, but generally, the process was completely stress-free.

The aforementioned app also became my go-to for purchasing and installing games. The interface is quick and simple and allowed me the ability to purchase and install titles on the go.

Game Time

The Meta Quest 3’s library is far deeper and more expansive than I’d thought. While I knew there were some fantastic games available, I probably, rather naively, didn’t quite realize to what extent. I guess, as it’s now the third generation of the headset, I should have really expected some bangers.

Of course, being the basic guy that I am, I jumped straight into Beatsaber, and I was straight into the flow thanks to my youth spent playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band. I then spent time playing the phenomenal Superhot VR, having a blast on Pistol Whip VR, and laughing my way through What the Bat. My two most played games to this point surprised me, however.

The Meta Quest 3’s library is far deeper and more expansive than I’d thought.

First up, I spent more time than I care to mention strutting about wacky virtual mini golf courses in Walkabout Mini Golf, to the point where I succumbed to purchasing every additional course available. There’s something serene, and slightly fear-inducing, about playing golf on a floating island or deep underwater, and the creativity of the different courses was a delight. After that, I dived deep into Mothergunship: Forge, and oh boy, what a joy that game is.

Seemingly, a disproportionate number of the Meta Quest’s library is FPS games. It just makes sense, given what the VR headset is. Ultimately though, at first glance, it can lead to two things — oversaturation and creativity, as developers try to make their shooter stand out from the crowd. Mothergunship: Forge achieves this. I love me a good roguelite, and Mothergunship: Forge ticked all the loopy, endorphin-inducing boxes that I needed it to as I crafted some absolutely wild weapons and completed my first run after who-knows-how-many hours.

My biggest concern when heading into my Meta Quest 3 library was the nauseous feeling I got from the PSVR years ago, and while there were moments when that wave washed over me, especially when playing games with a lot of movement, for the most part, I avoided it. That being said, semi-regular breaks definitely helped.

Other Software

It’s not just games that the Meta Quest 3 has in abundance; there are plenty of different apps to dig deep into.

The headset has a full internet browser, complete with an augmented reality keyboard, access to WhatsApp and, most importantly, YouTube and Netflix. Both video services offer differing experiences, each with excellent quality. While YouTube simply places you in an empty theatre-like arena with a giant display, Netflix does things differently. Once I loaded up the app, I was transported to a cozy cottage, complete with giant windows overlooking snowcapped mountains and a ginormous screen, the perfect environment for watching a movie.

Pure Quality

I guess up to this point, I’ve talked about the setup, I’ve talked about the games, and I’ve talked about the software, but I’ve not actually spoken about the headset itself. Let me tell you, it’s good. It’s really good.

After setting up the headset for the first time, I was thrust into a mixed-reality world, which was effectively my living room with a virtual display, and I felt like I was in the future. Of course, when I dived into a game or an app, it moved from AR to VR, but I was still blown away. But it wasn’t just the mixed-reality stuff that impressed me.

I felt like I was in the future.

The visual quality on the Quest 3, once I’d got the headset placed in the correct position on my head (which could, at times, be a bit of a pain), was genuinely fantastic. The two 2064 x 2208 pixel displays were a joy, and while I wasn’t getting the graphical fidelity I would on my PS5, it was more than enough to fool my brain that I was in a completely different environment. The speakers of the Meta Quest 3 were also great, with the 3D audio truly adding to the immersion.

Finally, the controllers are near-perfect. The size and ergonomic shape meant they fit my baby hands like a glove, and coupled with the effects of the VR, it made me really feel like I was holding a golf club or a gun in the respective games.

VR is never going to be my primary gaming platform. The few drawbacks that the platform has do enough to ensure that, but that’s not to say I didn’t have a blast, and it’s definitely something I’ll continue to play. The Meta Quest 3’s fantastic screen quality, ease of use, repertoire of games, and mixed-reality features ensure that it’s going to be something that gets played regularly in my household. It’s a credit to the platform that it got my girlfriend, who doesn’t really play games outside the simulation genre, deeply invested in shooters and rhythm games. And Little Cities VR, of course.