Apple Vision Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy XR vs. Meta Quest 3

While Meta is cutting costs with low-end hardware, Apple and Samsung are aiming to set a new benchmark for visual quality in headsets with 4K micro-OLED displays.

Until now, Meta has defined the VR market with its Quest line; affordable headsets featuring low-contrast, low-resolution LCD panels and weak processors. They run on a fork of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which Meta calls Horizon OS. Rumor has it that Meta is working on something more ambitious.

Almost two years ago, Apple launched its visionOS operating system alongside the Vision Pro headset. Now Google has entered the scene with its own headset platform, Android XR, debuting in Samsung's Galaxy XR. Both visionOS and Android XR are ambitious systems built on years of development from iOS and Android.

Apple's headset is extremely expensive, Samsung's relatively so, and Meta's Quest 3 the budget option, so what do you actually get? See the overview below.

Apple Vision Pro
Samsung Galaxy XR
Meta Quest 3
Display tech
2x micro-OLED
2x micro-OLED
2x LCD
Resolution
3662x3200 per eye (34ppd), 23 million
3552x3840 per eye (35.5ppd), 27 million
2064x2208 per eye (21ppd), 9 million
Refresh rate
Up to 120Hz
Up to 90Hz
Up to 120Hz
Field-of-view
?
109 horizontal, 100 vertical
104 horizontal, 96 vertical
HDR
HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision
HDR10, HLG
-
Chip
Apple M5 (16GB)
Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 (16GB)
Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 (8GB)
OS
visionOS
Android XR (Google)
Horizon OS (Android open source)
AI
Apple Intelligence
Google Gemini
Meta AI
Video support
AV1, MV-HEVC, Apple Immersive Video
AV1, MV-HEVC
AV1
Audio
ASAF, Dolby Atmos, 2x speakers
Dolby Atmos, 2x speakers
Dolby Atmos, 2x speakers
Camera
2x 3D, 6.5MP
2x 3D, 6.5MP
2x 3D, 4MP
Sensors
6x tracking, 4x eye tracking, depth sensor, Lidar
6x tracking, 4x eye tracking, depth sensor
6x tracking, depth sensor
Input
Eyes, hands, controllers
Eyes, hands, controllers
Hands, controllers
Storage
256GB, 512GB, 1TB
256GB only
128GB, 512GB
Connectivity
WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4
WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
Battery life
Up to 3 hours
Up to 2.5 hours
Up to 2.2 hours
Weight
750g
545g
515g
Price
$3500
$1800
$500
 FlatpanelsHD
Headset comparison
One key difference is the displays (LCD vs. micro-OLED), where the gap in picture quality is enormous. With pixel-level color and luminance control, Apple and Samsung both support HDR and offer much higher resolution than Meta. The display remains the single most important component in a headset.

Another major difference lies in the operating systems and their implications. The incredible 8K 3D 90fps videos in Apple's Immersive Video format are exclusive to visionOS, which also uniquely offers a catalog of "flat" 3D movies (currently over 300 titles – see the 3D movie database). The Immersive videos use the MV-HEVC codec. Samsung supports MV-HEVC in hardware (Meta does not), but that alone does not grant access to Apple's Immersive content. Apple also has its own spatial audio format. Unlike Apple and Samsung, Quest cannot be controlled with eye tracking.

 Also read: Why Apple's 3D format outshines 3D Blu-ray


Another relatively underdiscussed area is support for streaming apps. Meta's Horizon OS offers almost none, while Android XR mainly relies on mobile versions of streaming apps. Apple, on the other hand, has persuaded some services to develop proper VR apps. See the overview here.

Meanwhile, Google and Samsung are ahead in AI integration with Gemini, which lets users look at an object and instantly retrieve more information simply by asking.

A third major difference is processing power. Apple's M5 appears to have a more than 7x faster CPU (17800 vs. 2450 in Geekbench multicore) than the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 found in Samsung's Galaxy XR. Meta Quest 3 uses an even slower chip. This allows Apple Vision Pro to run a completely different class of apps and experiences, with desktop-grade performance versus lower than smartphone-level power on the others.

A fourth major difference is price. Meta Quest 3 sells for $500 including controllers. Meta cannot make a big profit on that, and that price leaves little room for hardware innovation, but it makes Quest 3 accessible to the masses. Apple's $3500 price point on the other hand is sky-high, while Samsung is closer to a sweet spot, though still arguably a bit too high.

It is still early days for headsets, but with three major platforms now competing, the battle is heating up – good news for consumers. For now, only the Meta Quest 3 is widely available around the world. Availability of the two other headsets is limited to a few regions.