Well, the Apple Vision Pro is quite expensive! It’s currently the best-mixed reality headset, but that $3,499 price is hard to afford. Fortunately, some excellent alternatives cost much less.
The high price of the Vision Pro is because it has the best display technology (micro-OLED with 23 million pixels), outstanding tracking (2 main cameras, 6 world-facing tracking cameras, 4 eye-tracking cameras, TrueDepth camera, LiDAR scanner, 4 inertial measurement units, flicker sensor, and ambient light sensor), and a well-made software experience in visionOS.
However, keep in mind that this is the first version of the product, and it’s quite pricey. Other devices still excel in certain areas, like having a broader viewing angle in some top VR headsets, having the battery pack built into the headset, or providing a similar spatial computing experience in a device as compact as a pair of AR glasses.
That’s why the alternatives below are noteworthy. Plus, choosing any of them will ensure you save at least $1,500. Take a look below to find out what they are.
Top Alternatives to Apple Vision Pro Available Now
1. Meta Quest 3
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- Enhanced comfort compared to Quest 2
- Vibrant LCD display
- Excellent Touch Plus controllers
- Impressive full-color passthrough CONS
- Limited mixed reality features
- Short battery life
- Hand tracking is not very practical at the moment
Although the Meta Quest 3 isn’t considered the best VR headset anymore (that title goes to Apple Vision Pro), it remains the best option after Apple’s headset, providing many similar features at a much lower cost.
The headset is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor and has a 2K resolution per eye in the twin LCD lenses, delivering a sharp, vibrant, and smooth full 4K picture with a 90Hz refresh rate. According to users (as Apple hasn’t confirmed details), the Quest 3 seems to have a noticeably wider field of view at 110 degrees, as noted by Nilay Patel at The Verge.
However, there are some expected downsides, like a battery life of under two hours and the absence of mixed reality apps (at the moment) to utilize the impressive full-color passthrough feature fully.
Despite these drawbacks, it remains a top choice for a VR headset. Meta’s extensive experience in this market means it offers the most extensive app catalog. The Link cable provides access to a variety of PC VR games, and with a price tag of $499, it saves you a significant amount compared to the Vision Pro.
2. Xreal Air 2
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- Stunning display
- Dependable AR/Spatial software
- Extremely comfortable to wear CONS
- A pricey investment
- Slightly large on the face
- Audio quality is not the best
- Full AR features require an optional accessory
Yes, I understand this is quite different from the usual list of VR headsets you might have expected. But bear with me as I explain why the Xreal Air 2 provides a feature similar to the Vision Pro at a much lower cost.
I’m talking about spatial computing, the futuristic concept that Apple promotes heavily with features like displaying your MacBook screen in the air and opening various apps around you. If you buy these $399 glasses, get the $119 Beam accessory, and download the Nebula software for Mac or PC, you can have this same experience. Moreover, you can have up to three horizontal displays for multitasking, something the Vision Pro can’t do right now.
However, you lose some features you get from a VR headset, like hand/eye tracking and a wide field of view. Even though Xreal has made the tech smaller to fit into glasses, they still look a bit large on your face, like the spy glasses you might have gotten from the Scholastic book fair.
Also, keep in mind that the Air 2/Air 2 Pro might be replaced on this list soon, as the Xreal Air 2 Ultra is on the way, offering 6DOF positional tracking and a premium titanium finish. In the meantime, these are a great option for a large and beautiful display to use with any smartphone, laptop, or handheld console with USB-C connectivity, along with spatial computing capabilities in a more portable pair of glasses.
3. PlayStation VR2
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- Simple setup process
- Impressive controls with haptic feedback
- Stunning display
- Overall excellent VR experience CONS
- Pricier than a PS5
- Awkward controller straps
When it comes to gaming, the Apple Vision Pro has fun games like Fruit Ninja, and the Meta Quest 3 offers a lot of titles, too. But, let’s be real, if your main focus is playing in amazing virtual worlds, Sony’s PSVR 2 is the best choice for you.
It has a stunning OLED display and fantastic controllers with the same haptic feedback as DualSense. Plus, there’s a growing collection of PlayStation games and 3D audio support. It’s hard to find a better AAA gaming headset than this.
The main challenges with the PSVR 2 are that it needs a PS5 to work (so you’re spending over $1,000 for the whole experience), and the Quest 3 has a much bigger game collection (including the option to play PC VR games). But, with games like Horizon Call of the Mountain and Gran Turismo 7’s VR mode completely impressing me, this is the top choice for serious gamers.
4. Meta Quest Pro
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- Comfortable to wear
- Doesn’t cut you off from the real world
- Realistic spatial audio CONS
- Very costly
- Limited battery life
- Using VR for work is still not easy to figure out
The Meta Quest Pro is a solid, high-end option instead of the Apple Vision Pro, and it saves you $1,500 compared to the Cupertino choice. Unlike the Quest 3, this one is more geared towards advanced productivity needs, like engineering, prosumer creativity, and large design projects such as architecture.
But, it’s reasonable to choose the cheaper third-gen Quest headset because it can do most of what the Quest Pro does. Still, this is a great VR headset with a sleek, comfortable design that keeps you connected to the world around you.
The $999 price is a bit much when the Quest 3 is half of that cost. However, it’s a good investment if you’re in the commercial field and can make the most of the advanced tech it offers.
