Forget the Reality Pro headset – I'm buying a Meta Quest 3 instead

WWDC 2023 is just a few days away now, and many are gearing up for one of the most interesting product launches in recent history. That's because Apple are heavily rumoured to be unveiling their first VR headset – the Apple Reality Pro.

It's certainly captured the imagination of wannabe users. Despite having no official information released about it, vast torrents of rumours and leaked information have helped us form a relatively full picture of what could be on the way.

Chief among those leaks is the price. The new headset is rumoured to launch at around $3,000, which is a princely sum. It far outstrips other models on the market – the Meta Quest Pro is the most expensive we've tested, with a retail price of £1,499 / $1,499.

And that's the main reason why I'm not planning to get in on the action. Sure, Apple could turn around on Monday and wow us all with a host of unreleased features. They may even shock us with a lower-than-rumoured price. But I can't see it being low enough.

Instead, I'm tempted by the Meta Quest 3. Unveiled recently, that headset takes all of the goodness from the Meta Quest 2, slims down the casing and powers up the performance. It also adds in Meta Reality – the brands' take on mixed reality use.

All of this combined makes it a significant step up from its predecessor. It's also comparatively cheap – retailing at just $499, or around £400. But more than that, it's a tried and tested product. Already on its third generation, the Quest range has been around long enough to iron out any performance issues and bugs.

While the two aren't directly comparable – even removing cost from the equation, the Apple's offering is likely to be geared towards developers – they are in the same league. And for a regular consumer to warrant the cost of the Reality Pro over the Quest 3, Apple will need to pull off something special.