I‘ve been closely following the virtual reality space ever since the early Oculus Rift and HTC Vive days. We‘ve come a long way from those initial buggy headsets with terrible screen door effects and constant losing of tracking. Modern VR technology like what‘s packed into the new Meta Quest 3 finally delivers immersive, comfortable experiences on par with what we always imagined virtual reality to be.
But there are still a few choices when it comes to which headset can take you into next-gen VR worlds. Let‘s compare how the veteran PlayStation VR matches up against the latest wireless flagship – Meta‘s brand new Quest 3.
A Quick History of VR Headsets
Oculus kickstarted the modern era of virtual reality way back in 2012 when Palmer Luckey hacked together the first Rift prototype in his garage. After a wildly successful Kickstarter, Facebook purchased Oculus for $2 billion in 2014 – an enormous bet on the future of VR and where it has now evolved to with the Meta rebrand.
Not to be left out, Sony made their own big bet on VR when it launched the PlayStation VR headset in 2016 to work with their PlayStation 4 console. The concept of console VR attracted a lot of initial interest though sales and game releases have slowed down significantly for PSVR in recent years.
Fast forward through various iterations of Oculus headsets bringing better screens, optics, and form factors all focused on untethered freedom. And here we are with the Quest 3 launching in October 2023 with the most advanced standalone VR tech ever packed into a single device. No wires, no console or gaming PC required.
But for those still rocking a PSVR and PlayStation console, does Sony‘s headset still hold up well against the latest innovations by Meta? Let‘s dive in…
Breaking Down The Key Specs and Tech
| Meta Quest 3 | PlayStation VR | |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Oct 2023 | Oct 2016 |
| Display Resolution | 2,160 x 2,160 pixels per eye (4320 x 2160 combined) – 508 PPI | 960 x 1080 pixels per eye (1920 x 1080 combined) – 386 PPI |
| Display Panel | Pancake lens LCD | Fresnel lens OLED |
| Refresh Rate | 90Hz or 120Hz adaptive | 90Hz, 120Hz |
| Processor | Snapdragon XR2+ Gen2 | Custom Sony solution |
| Tracking | 6DOF inside-out | 6DOF outside-in |
| Controllers | Oculus Touch 3 | PS Move (sold separately) |
| Cables | USB-C 3.2 | USB 2.0 |
With over double the pixel density and new specialized pancake lenses, the Quest 3‘s visuals are immediately more stunning and lifelike. The ergonomics have been similarly enhanced on Meta‘s new Touch controllers versus the aging PlayStation Move wands. And the Snapdragon processor can dynamically adjust frame rates up to 120Hz for smoother gameplay compared to PSVR‘s mostly locked 90Hz refresh.
PlayStation VR definitely showed its age on the connection front too with the now very outdated USB 2.0 bandwidth speeds. All these little things add up to a vastly more immersive and comfortable experience. But let‘s get more specific…
Visual Performance & Optics Show a Night & Day Difference
The jump from Oculus Quest 2‘s 1832 x 1920 resolution per eye to Quest 3‘s 2160 x 2160 display is quite significant both numerically and in terms of perceived detail. Adding in the specialized pancake lenses with their approximately 20% wider field of view and fewer distracting rays of light leakage, the improvement is even more drastic.
Text now perfectly clear and detailed whether at the focal center or peripheral edges. Light sources no longer produce visible god rays flaring across the lenses. Fine details in VR worlds line up cleanly pixel by pixel rather than a blurry mess. PlayStation VR‘s OLED screen still provides nice inky blacks. But its low 1080p resolution means you‘ll constantly battle a both blurry and mildly pixelated view in newer games.
For those needing vision correction, the Quest 3 also supports prescription lens inserts like the WidmoVR ones below to enhance comfort. This helps reduce pressure around your eyes from wearing glasses inside the headset.
Meanwhile, PlayStation VR 1 relies on separate prescription lenses fitted over the headset that can easily shift out of place during longer sessions.
For those coming from a PSVR or other older headsets, Quest 3‘s visual improvements border on generational leap territory rather incremental upgrade.
Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 Chip Brings Elite-Level Power
Qualcomm designed their Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor featured in the Meta Quest Pro and Quest 3 specifically for tier-1 standalone VR experiences. Packing advanced AI capabilities on top of brute force rendering power, it brings console and even gaming PC-quality graphics down to an untethered headset.
The custom Sony chip inside PlayStation VR simply can‘t compare despite Sony‘s expertise in console silicon. It was designed over 7 years ago on what was cutting-edge VR rendering tech for the time. But with mobile computing progressing rapidly thanks to smartphones, what once powered decent VR now chugs trying to keep up with modern workloads.
You‘ll frequently encounter stutters, lagginess, unstable frame rates and other performance issues in newer PSVR games that the developer didn‘t heavily optimize for the aging hardware. Even old Oculus Quest 2 ran circles around it processing power wise.
Positional tracking latency is also much higher on PlayStation VR causing slight disconnects between your head movements and what displays on-screen. Quest 3 on the other hand measures best-in-class motion to photon latency matching what top-end PC headsets achieve.
Simply put, the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 provides buttery smooth, richly detailed scenes that the PSVR chip just cannot match even when focusing on visual quality over high framerates. VR has come an incredibly long way over the past 7 years.
Unmatched Content Libraries with Cross-Platform Support
As a PlayStation 4/5 accessory, the PlayStation VR‘s content library focuses exclusively on PlayStation console exclusives plus some ports of popular VR titles from other platforms. There is limited capability for using PSVR with a gaming PC requiring extra hardware and software hoops to jump through.
Quest 3 on the other hand supports both native Quest store games and apps as well full SteamVR and Rift PC libraries via the Oculus Link cable connectivity. Over 500 titles already support Quest 3 directly with many more gaining compatibility post-launch. And countless more become playable when using Link to access gaming PCs.
PlayStation VR can only tap into that closed PlayStation ecosystem unless you own capable gaming PC hardware and purchase extra software like IVRY or KinoVR to attempt using the PSVR headset as makeshift Rift/Vive alternative. The visual and tracking compromises often make this more trouble than it‘s worth though.
As for game sales to date, over 600 VR games are available for PlayStation VR currently. Sony hasn‘t shared official sales numbers in years but most estimates point to 8-10 million PSVR games sold to date since launch.
The Oculus platform which Meta Quest taps into has seen over 30 million VR game and app sales for context. And around 1 in 3 of those Quest store purchases happened within the last year pointing to much more vigorous ongoing support by developers.
None of this mentions the types of VR content readily accessible across both platforms. PlayStation VR headsets get a few solid exclusives like Horizon: Call of the Mountain, Blood and Truth and Moss 1 & 2. But graphics are often dialed down given the hardware limitations already discussed.
Meanwhile Quest 3 owners can experience rich AAA-quality worlds like Resident Evil 4 VR and Splinter Cell/Assassin‘s Creed titles unmodified with detailed textures and complex physics intact. And wireless PC VR through Oculus Link means enjoying Half Life: Alyx, Skyrim VR or Microsoft Flight Simulator fully immersively.
Simply put, Meta‘s open cross-platform strategy means Quest 3 adopters enjoy both quality and quantity when it comes to cutting edge VR games and experiences.
Natural Intuitive Controls vs Attack of the Wands
While the core VR experience depends heavily on the visuals and processing power, having intuitive and ergonomic controllers is nearly as important. This is how you physically interact with those virtual worlds after all. Janky controllers with limited finger sensing break that all-important immersion.
Let‘s look at how the newly redesigned Oculus Touch controller stacks up against Sony‘s aging PlayStation Move motion controllers.
The third generation Oculus Touch keeps and improves upon the ergonomic design which gamers and reviewers alike have praised for years. The new iteration adds sensor arrays to track each finger position more accurately using force sensors instead of binary button detection alone.
Overall tracking precision gets a boost too thanks to additional external sensors aiding the inside-out tracking cameras. This reduces dead zones if the controller briefly goes out of sight. Haptic feedback has been upgraded in both intensity and resolution – little actuator motors provide much more nuanced vibration reactions from different parts of the controller.
Battery life has practically been quadrupled up to 40 hours between charges. And for those marathon VR sessions, you can continue playing while charging simultaneously thanks to the USB-C port. That‘s a nice upgrade over Quest 2‘s very short standalone battery runtime once they hit 50% capacity after a few years. Rechargeable batteries were removable at least – but also quite annoying.
Ergonomically, the Touch controllers continue striking an excellent balance between lightweight enough for comfortable long-term holding while still providing nice hand grips. People with smaller hands will still find them on the larger side but customizable strap attachments help alleviate that issue somewhat.
Now looking at PlayStation Move…well let‘s just say when even PlayStation themselves have largely ditched move controllers as antiquated technology, you know there are major issues. Light-tracking and all buttons consolidated in a giant wand design seemed clever over a decade ago – but not so much today.
Each controller awkwardly weighs in around 145 grams meaning rapid waving motions cause stress to your hands and wrists over longer sessions. Sticks and buttons feel cheaper than DualShocks do, with very hollow plastic-y feedback. The spheres lit up by internal LEDs look way cooler than they function.
Multi-hour battery runtimes thankfully match Oculus Touch but requires switching to disposable AA batteries when power runs low rather than convenient charging.
As someone who grew up playing yard sports with unwieldy wooden sticks as bats and golf clubs, using PlayStation Move controllers triggers PTSD-like flashbacks to nearly breaking wrists attempting crazy slapshot motions. They yearn for the antiquities bin.
Oculus Touch controllers simply provide better ergonomics and intuitive interactions out of the box – which quests in VR demand more and more as interactivity increases.
Final Verdict: Few Reasons Left to Choose PlayStation VR Over Meta Quest
Given the multitude of ways that Meta Quest 3 provides a cutting edge user experience compared to now extremely dated PSVR technology, I have a hard time currently recommending PlayStation VR in 2023 beyond some edge cases:
1. Tight budget under $300
2. Access to specific Sony exclusives
3. Already own capable gaming PC/PS5
Yes, you can sometimes find original PSVR bundles with accessories hovering around $200. So if money is extremely tight or you‘re just VR curious, that low entry cost has appeal.
A few great exclusives exist like Gran Turismo 7 or upcoming PSVR 2 Horizon spin-off. So brand loyalists may still be compelled. Note that upcoming PSVR 2 will provide another gen-leap forward; this analysis focuses solely on current-gen PSVR.
And if you already have a VR ready gaming PC or PlayStation 5 console, purchasing an ultra cheap PSVR 1 could supplement your high end VR headset as a secondary travel/party option.
But for all general consumers and enthusiasts seeking the absolute cutting edge in VR experiences today plus unlimited room to grow into next generation titles and technology improvements – the Meta Quest 3 undoubtedly takes the crown in this battle of VR titans.
It wins out on visuals, processing muscle, controller ergonomics, content support, wireless freedoms – practically any metric that matters, Meta Quest 3 sets the new bar to beat. For these reasons and more, the Meta Quest 3 stands tall as my highest recommendation for most users as the best overall VR system available in 2023 and beyond.
Let the VR wars march forward!
