Meta Quest Pro review: For those with more money than common sense

At this point in the history of tech product marketing, consumers generally know what it means when a company sticks the word “Pro” at the end of a device’s name. From iPads and AirPods to Microsoft Surface and Galaxy Watch, ‘Pro’ models generally offer the same underlying device and core platform with some high-end ‘nice to have’ features for avid users who want the best. experience.

To get these Pro features, consumers typically have to pay a “Pro premium” of between 25-60% over the more expensive “non-Pro” model of the same product. Even the biggest Pro version outliers we could find in the tech world barely exceed a 100% increase over their non-Pro ancestors.

Despite its name, the Meta Quest Pro does not really belong to the same marketing universe as these previous “Pro” products. Meta’s new standalone VR headset costs $1,500 at launch, 275% more than its $400 predecessor, the Meta Quest 2 (which sold quite well for its still young market segment). The premium jumps to 400% if you compare the Quest Pro to the $300 Meta was asking for a Quest 2 just a few months ago.

This type of price increase rightly sets exorbitant expectations for the new device. A product that costs almost four times as much as its predecessor must offer truly unique and luxurious features that early adopters think they can’t live without. For this price premium, it should be the kind of upgrade that makes people wonder how satisfied they ever felt with the older model in the first place.

This is definitely not the case here. Quest Pro’s new features, such as a color passthrough camera and the ability to read a user’s facial expressions, seem too experimental and lacking for a flagship. And while there are distinct improvements in screen comfort and clarity here, they’re less impactful than we’d expect for the price (and, honestly, the passage of time since the launch of Quest 2 in 2020).

After spending a few days with a Quest Pro unit at retail, we wonder who, exactly, this product is for.

It feels good, man

After opening your $1,500 package, putting a Quest Pro on your head feels significantly nicer than wearing any of the previous Quest headsets. The flimsy “ski goggle” strap that sealed those old helmets to your face has been replaced with two semi-spherical cushions, one that rests on your forehead and the other that tightens at the back of your skull with an easy-to-use dial.

Instead of resting heavily above the bridge of your nose, the Quest Pro screen hovers comfortably right in front of your face at a distance that can be easily adjusted with its own dial. This is a significant improvement – with most of the weight resting on the forehead, the unit feels much more secure and better balanced than previous Quest headsets, especially during prolonged use.

That said, the Quest Pro falls short of the “wear it all day” ideal that some VR boosters might hope for. The headset’s 722 grams (which is significantly heavier than the original Quest 2) start showing on your forehead around the one hour mark, especially when you frown or raise your eyebrows. Still, I found that pressure quite bearable – I wasn’t tearing the headset off in pain after 60 minutes or anything – and it was certainly preferable to the greater pinching around the eyes and nose of previous Quest headsets.