Metro Awakening is not quite for me. There’s definitely something here for the right kind of VR game fan; namely someone with a better connection to the Metro franchise (this is my first entry), who enjoys slow-burn stories with splashes of horror, and who can stand spiders. That’s just not me, unfortunately.
Review Info
Platform reviewed: Meta Quest 3 Available on: Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S, Meta Quest 2, PSVR 2, Steam Release date: November 7, 2024
I do enjoy some good ol’ survival horror, mind. Resident Evil 2, 4, 7, and 8 – including the Meta Quest Resident Evil 4 port – are among my favorite games of all time. The gameplay loop of facing your fears and exploring spooky environs to better face the dangers wandering those spaces is one I can’t get enough of, and in this regard, I think Metro Awakening does so much right.
Even the smaller beasts of the Moscow Metro feel intimidating, and there’s an inescapable tenseness to wandering the claustrophobic tunnels. Resources seem reasonably sparse to make management and stealthier approaches essential, but not so sparse that you feel like survival’s an impossible task – as long as you make every bullet count.
I also adore the game’s realistic weapons handling as it adds to the title’s overall terror; there’s nothing worse than hearing *bang* *bang* *click* as you realize you’re out of ammo as a monster charges you, and the only way to reload is to properly eject a cartridge, insert a new one and cock your firearm – simple enough except when you’re terrified. These moments wouldn't feel the same if your gun simply refilled its ammo at the push of a button.
That’s true for a lot of Metro Awakening’s interactive elements. There’s a realness to everything, including miscellaneous props you can find lying around, that makes this world feel fairly alive – which is fantastic for immersion.
Though these high-quality VR aspects are to be expected from Vertigo Games, the team behind Arizona Sunshine and its sequel – shining examples of the post-apocalyptic VR shooter.
Wandering through the dark
Set five years before Metro 2033 we play as Serdar, a doctor who is on a mission to rescue his wife Yana from the haunting voices of her traumatic past. On the quest, Serdar will discover the man he is destined to become: Khan, the mystic ally of the main series’ protagonist Artyom.
Best Bit
(Image credit: Vertigo Games)
While I wish it came sooner, that first jump scare into your first proper combat was an excellent inciting incident that instantly frightens you in a way you can't shake as you play further.
While the story is well written – creating an intriguing blend of sci-fi and folklore – things take too long to get going. The intro made me feel like I was stuck in an over-extended cutscene broken up by unnecessary exploration between exposition.
There were some moments of action – a big fight scene with a mounted machine gun – near the start but I didn’t feel like I was being immersed in the survival horror setting I was promised. When I finally was, the inciting jump scare gave me whiplash as things went from zero to 100 in an instant.
Fans of a slower burning story will likely enjoy this more gentle pace – perhaps even how it juxtaposes with the titles’ more action and terror-filled segments – but I unfortunately found the intro a slog and from this bad start, I failed to feel compelled by the story. The plot felt like a roadblock to the game I wanted to be playing rather than an integral part of it.
I also had issues with accessibility. We have a whole segment of our reviews dedicated to this aspect so I’ll save some for that but I found the smooth locomotion vignette entirely ineffective – so where I was able to play Arkham Shadow until my headset ran out of charge just fine I kept having to pause Metro Awakening every 20 to 30 minutes, or make do with teleportation movement.
(Image credit: Vertigo Games)
A difficult journey
The last of my gripes is I did notice a few performance hiccups, particularly just after passing through a loading zone. I was playing on a Meta Quest 3 and suspect more powerful systems – PSVR 2 and PCVR headsets – would struggle less on this side of things though I can’t confirm that for myself.
Though nothing I experienced was game breaking and it was always only a few seconds of noticeable framerate drops before Metro Awakening returned to
Overall then I think Metro’s VR entry has a lot to offer, especially to fans of the series who want to immerse themselves in the franchise’s iconic setting. The story isn’t for me, but for someone who feels more invested in the plot, I can see how its more gradual pace creates this unignorable tension as even in safer areas you’re agonizing about when the next monster will crawl its way out of the shadows.
Being dropped into this world through VR there’s some proper terror that feels so much more impactful than with a flat game. Horror fans will love what Metro Awakening has to offer, but if you prefer more light-hearted adventures this is one to skip.
Should you play Metro Awakening?
Play it if...
You love the world of Metro This Metro 2033 backstory will help you learn more about the world and one of Artyom's closest allies, as well as give you the chance to truly experience the Metro's horrors firsthand.
You love horror Metro Awakening feels intimidating in a way many flat games can't emulate. Be ready for a good fright fest if you pick this game up.
Don't play it if...
You hate slow-burn stories If you want survival horror action right out the gate this won't be for you, the story takes some time to cook but, equally, that'll be a positive for some players.
You get very easily motion sick when VR gaming While there is teleportation movement it's very slow, and the smooth locomotion has a weak vignette option that left me queasy.
(Image credit: Vertigo Games)
Accessibility
As with many VR games, Metro Awakening requires you to have a full range of upper body movements – though it can be played standing or seated. It also boasts teleportation movement which is ideal for players who can’t yet stomach smooth motion.
Unfortunately, while smooth motion does have a vignette option it’s very weak – so much so that in the game’s darker environments I didn’t notice it at all. The upshot is while I’m generally fine with smooth movement with vignetting on I had to swap to the less enjoyable teleportation style because I was struggling to stay immersed for longer stretches.
Another issue is Metro Awakening has a fair few spiders, and while an arachnophobia mode is coming it isn’t out yet. I found the spiders in the more comedic VR title Kill It With Fire too much to handle so you can bet the spiders of Metro VR were beyond what I wanted to deal with. Horror is meant to be scary, yes, but there’s a distinctly unfun kind of terror that spiders instill in me so I’ll gladly wait for that update.
How I tested Metro Awakening
For this review I played through Metro Awakening using my Meta Quest 3 with the Razer head strap and facial interface, otherwise, it was the standard modeI. While I explored the Moscow Metro I tried a range of approaches to the game's various encounters to test different strategies, and I explored the game's settings to get a good grasp of its accessibility features.
Batman: Arkham Shadow is a masterclass in what a VR game should be. It thrusts you into an immersive experience with gameplay that encourages realistic fighting movement and interacting with your environment in ways a flat console title could never offer, and the narrative-driven mystery is packed with emotionally powerful scenes that’ll have you forgetting you aren’t really Bruce Wayne for a moment.
Review Info
Platform reviewed: Meta Quest 3 Available on: Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S Release date: October 21, 2024
These elements culminate in an experience that I never wanted to put down. Every one of my Arkham Shadow play sessions would begin with me unplugging my fully charged Meta Quest 3, and end with me taking it off because my battery had hit zero.
The only letdown from this otherwise flawless VR game is Arkham Shadow is chocked full of glitches.
The vast majority are minor – visual defects here and there – and anything actually game-breaking is easily solved by resetting to the last generously doled-out checkpoint (meaning I lost at most 10s of progress any time I had to reload). However, a few bugs near the finale caused my game to crash partway through what felt like a significant flashback (when I rebooted the title I had skipped it, with no way to rewatch it) and the final challenging puzzle of the adventure became an utter frustration as I was forced to replay it half a dozen times because interactable items wouldn’t behave properly causing me to fail (with it only being solved by another hard reset).
Can you save Gotham? (Image credit: Meta / Camouflaj)
Batman: Arkham Shadow is easily up there with the best VR games ever, there are even arguments to be made that it’s the best VR game of all time. It's such a delightful experience I’d count it among the top games of 2024, period. Everyone with a Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S should play it whether they got it free with a recent headset purchase or not, and those of you who have previously dismissed VR should seriously consider getting a Quest 3 to try this game (and then explore everything else the platform has to offer like Vendetta Forever, Asgard’s Wrath 2, and Walkabout Mini Golf).
Unfortunately, the glitches have to knock it down a peg right now – which is why it’s not getting a five-star score despite my praise. I’m sure in a month or two when the holes have been patched it’ll be perfect, but as it stands today it’s not quite there.
Ready for a brawl
Now that I’ve frontloaded my only issue with Arkham Shadow, let’s get into everything that makes it special starting with combat.
Arkhamverse titles are defined by their fighting, a flowing dance of blows interspersed with combo finishers and gadget trickery. Beyond moving the camera from third to first person, Arkham Shadow is a perfect recreation of this system with fights feeling utterly thrilling.
To build up your combo you must do more than merely fling your arms wildly, instead like a boxer you must mix up your straight punches with hooks or a quick flurry of blows as the game instructs you. You’ll also want to dodge out of the way of attacks or punch to counter them and keep building your combo. And just like any other Batman game, you can rely on a well-timed Batarang or small explosive to disorientate your enemies to earn a few extra points in your combat scorecard and level up faster.
Leveling up allows you to upgrade your skills, armor, and gadgets – with my favorite being a quick takedown option for knife enemies that have you pull off a brutal finishing blow after dodging their swipes.
Arkham Shadow's combat is fantastic (Image credit: Meta / Camouflaj)
There’s also the iconic predator mode stealth sections in which Batman is encouraged to take a more discrete approach – silently taking enemies down by choking them out while they’re not looking or suspending them from perches.
These more puzzle-like combats require a mixture of patience and out-of-the-box thinking to solve them silently, though you can always rely on a quick smokescreen if stealth isn’t your forte.
Once you have mastered your predator and combat skills you can put them to the test in three bonus challenge scenarios respectively. They’re short and sweet but give you a chance to truly flex once you’ve unlocked every upgrade and finished the campaign.
Who is the Rat King?
Speaking of, while I’ll keep things spoiler-lite, know that the Arkham Shadow narrative is a treat – even Batman super fans will get caught up in the Cult of the Rat King mystery that will keep you guessing until the credits roll.
Best Bit
(Image credit: Meta / Camouflaj)
I adored the mystery of Arkham Shadow, even as an Arkhamverse and Batman fan I was caught off guard by the narrative's twists.
One big deviation Arkham Shadow takes from the rest of the series is a decent chunk of your time (I’d say about 15 to 20% of the game) is spent out of the suit. This gives you the chance to interact with members of Gotham City on a more human level, even RP as Bruce Wayne a bit with dialogue choices. This isn’t the Batman Telltale game, your actions won’t impact the story’s outcome at all, though it will change a few interactions and make it feel like you’re able to put your stamp on Batman.
Through its Batman, and non-Batman, encounters, Arkham Shadow does well to carve out its take on the series’ allies and Rogues Gallery too. Given the title's placement between Origins and Asylum developer Camouflaj is somewhat restricted in what it can and can’t do. Jim Gordon, for example, can’t be killed off because we know he survives into future entries.
You wouldn’t notice these constraints while playing, however. The compelling narrative has a believable flow, and Arkham Shadow finds time and space to show us a different side to the likes of Jim Gordon, Harleen Quinzel, Harvey Dent, and others while still making them feel like the characters we love (or love to hate).
While you can get more up close and personal with the Arkhamverse lore in this entry, fans of the series’ collectibles which reward you with bonus side-stories and background info will appreciate the litany of secrets hidden in Shadow.
There are Rat King Idols and Broadcasts to destroy, patient tapes to recover, memories of Arkham Origins to recollect, and carvings to decipher. Each is hidden just out of sight, behind a tricky puzzle, or requiring you to come back later once you’ve picked up a gadget in Asylum’s Metroidvania style.
Collectathons can feel tedious, but gathering up every item was a lot of fun with a really solid mix of puzzles relying on uniquely VR gameplay or simple brain teasers – or in some cases, not so simple.
Gathering them all as I did should mean Arkham Shadow will last you between 10 and 15 hours, which is about as long as the campaign of Arkham Asylum with a side quest or two thrown in.
Should you play Batman: Arkham Shadow?
Play it if...
You've always wanted to be Batman More so than any game before it Arkham Shadow turns you into Gotham's vigilante that'll leave you wanting to shout iconic quotes long into the night.
You have a Meta Quest 3 If you have a Quest 3 or Quest 3S even if you didn't get this title for free with your headset you need to play it ASAP.
Don't play it if
You hate glitches Arkham Shadow is fun but darn glitchy. If you want a smooth experience wait for a few more patches then give it a try.View Deal
You get very easily motion sick With no teleportation movement Arkham Shadow is a little inaccessible to VR newcomers and those of you who get easily motion sick. That said, I can struggle with motion sickness in VR too still, but this game's other comfort controls helped my enjoy hours long play sessions.View Deal
Accessibility
Like other VR games, Arkham Shadow requires a fair amount of movement. You can play it seated using the height calibration setting (though standing is more immersive), but you will need a full range of arm movement to engage with the combat and its mobility puzzles.
Additionally, this game can only be played with smooth control stick movement giving it a ‘Moderate’ score on Meta’s comfort scale. Even though I’m a VR veteran at this point I still get motion sickness very easily so this did worry me, however, I found that with the vignette turned to medium I was able to play for hours – literally the whole battery life of my Meta Quest 3 – without feeling sick. Absolute newcomers may want to get a little more used to VR before diving in quite so deeply, but from my experience, the lack of teleportation movement shouldn’t be a major accessibility issue.
How I tested Batman: Arkham Shadow
For this review of Batman: Arkham Shadow I achieved a 100% completion rate – that means I found every collectible and finished the story. I had intended to simply complete the main quest, but I found the experience so gripping I wanted to squeeze every last drop of Batman I could out of this title. I also played on Hard difficulty which provided a decent challenge. If you’ve played Arkham games or a few VR action titles before this is the level I’d recommend.
To review it I did try the game on my Meta Quest 3S, but the vast majority of the time I used my Meta Quest 3. It’s the standard headset outfitted with the Razer head strap and facial interface for added comfort – something I greatly appreciated during my hours-long play sessions.
Looking at the Meta Quest 3S it’s easy to get the sense that it’s just the 128GB Samsung Galaxy S24 to the Meta Quest 3’s 512GB Samsung Galaxy S24; because it sort of is.
In many fundamental ways the two devices are identical. Their chipset and RAM are the same – a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, with 8GB – meaning there’s no Horizon OS game or app – in either VR or MR – that one headset can run that the other can't. Their controllers are the same, the mixed-reality passthrough is the same.
But in order to hit the cheaper $299.99 / £289.99 / AU$499.99 starting price of the Quest 3S, Meta has trimmed the specs and feature compared to the more expense model.
Storage is limited to either 128GB or 256GB instead of 512GB, and it has a bulkier frame than the Quest 3 (though it is one gram lighter than its counterpart). The Quest 3S’s most noticeable drawback, however, are the display and lens choices Meta has made.
At 1832 x 1920 per eye the screen is noticeably less crisp than the Meta Quest 3's, and the Fresnel lens design means images become slightly blurred towards the edges of the visible area. Those edges are more noticeable within your field of vision too, as the Quest 3S has a narrower field-of-view than the Quest 3, which makes virtual worlds feel a tad more restricted.
I’m also disappointed that the Quest 3S has brought back the IPD (inter pupillary distance) presets for adjusting the distance between the lenses for the clearest image, rather than maintaining the adjustable scroll wheel; this design choice again contributes to the image not being as crisp as you’d find on rival (admittedly pricier) VR headsets.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
These downgrades aren’t the end of the world when you’re enjoying an interactive VR or MR experience, but for a more relaxed static Quest 3S use – like kicking back on your sofa to watch Netflix on an immersive screen – the drop in quality is hard to ignore, and a more noticeable screen-door effect – where lines appear across the display as if you're viewing the image through a screen door – can’t help but chip away at your immersion.
The Meta Quest 3S gets a lot right, and for people on a budget, or who aren’t ready to commit to the $499.99 / £469.99 / AU$1,049.99 Meta Quest 3 because they aren’t confident they’ll use VR enough, it’s a fine choice. But the Meta Quest 3S is more than just a storage downgrade, and for some people its picture quality deficiencies may be too much of a letdown – and for those people the Meta Quest 3 remains the best VR headset around.
Meta Quest 3S: Specs
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Meta Quest 3S: Price and Availability
Unveiled at Meta Connect 2024, the Meta Quest 3S is shipping globally from October 15, 2024. It's priced at $299.99 / £289.99 / AU$499.99 for the base 128GB model, or $399.99 / £379.99 / AU$669.99 if you splash out on the larger 256GB storage option. If you want more storage than that you’ll need to upgrade to the 512GB Meta Quest 3 for $499.99 / £469.99 / AU$1,049.99.
More storage is certainly useful, but if you ask me 128GB is fine for most users. VR games and apps are fairly small, so filling 128GB is harder than you’d think, and even if you do run out of storage you can always delete a game you haven’t played in a few months to make room – and if you want to play it again down the line you can reinstall it, and it’ll be ready to play fairly quickly as long as you have a decently speedy internet connection.
Meta Quest 3S: Design
514g, but bulkier than Quest 3
Same Quest 3 controllers
Fabric facial interface
While the Meta Quest 3S shares many similarities with the Meta Quest 3, its design is a blend of the 3 and the Meta Quest 2.
In the name of cost-cutting it sacrifices the Quest 3’s slim pancake lens system for the bulkier fresnel lens option, though despite only being 20% slimmer than the Quest 2 when the Quest 3 is 40% slimmer the Meta Quest 3S is 1g lighter than the Quest 3 at 514g.
Having worn it I’d say this extra size does make it less comfortable than the Quest 3, as the Quest 3S’ weight is sitting further away from your face. That’s not to say you can’t happily use it to play VR games until the roughly three-hour battery runs dry – I've done just that – but I would have rather been using my Quest 3 for its slightly better comfort.
This headset also sees the return of the Quest 2’s trio of IPD presets. IPD adjustments enable you to adjust the distance between the lenses to match the distance between your pupils for the clearest-possible VR experience, and where the Quest 3 has a scroll wheel that enables you to adjust the IPD between 53mm and 75mm, the Meta Quest 3S only offers three fixed settings: 58mm, 63mm, and 68mm. This means that if your IPD doesn't exactly match one of those options the Quest 3S experience may be a little more blurry for you than for some other users.
Generally this isn't a deal-breaker, but I had hoped that we'd moved past this imperfect setup.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Then there are the controllers, which are identical to those that ship with the Meta Quest 3. They have the standard VR handset button layout: a trigger on the back, a side grip button, two buttons and an analog stick on the front face, and then either the Pause or Home button on the left and right controllers respectively. The continued lack of a tracking ring is excellent for immersion (as your rings won’t accidentally bash into each other when you bring your hands too close together), and I found the controllers were accurate and responsive to my movements.
For glasses-wearers, the Meta Quest 3S brings back the Quest 2’s spacer – a plastic insert which makes the gap between the lenses and your face a little wider so that there's room for your spectacles.
That said it’s not all familiar. It does have a new button: an Action button, although this isn’t programmable (at least not at the time of writing). Right now it simply (read: handily) swaps your view between VR and passthrough.
One thing I wish Meta had improved is the facial interface. There’s nothing wrong with it per se – it’s practically the same as the fabric interface you get with the Meta Quest 3 or the Pico 4 Ultra – but I’m yet again going to moan that it isn’t silicone. A silicone interface – or a similarly easy to clean, non-sweat-absorbing material – is not only essential for working out in VR (I can tell you that from my month-long VR workout experiment), it’s a helpfully hygienic option for all VR users.
Fabric facial interfaces aren’t easy to clean, and because of this sharing your VR headset with someone else can feel a little gross. And even if you’re the only person who uses it, eventually you’ll feel like the headset needs a clean after it's been strapped to your face for a certain number of hours. Fabric facial interfaces need to no longer be the default, and their continued presence seems to be mostly down to the fact that Meta and its partners (like Razer) can get away with selling you pricey silicone facial interface add-ons.
Design score: 3.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Meta Quest 3S: Performance
Handles VR games and apps with aplomb
Visuals aren't amazing
Obvious screen-door effect
With its (at the time of writing) top-of-the-line Snapdragon XR 2 Gen 2 chipset and 8GB of RAM, the Meta Quest 3S is able to comfortably handle everything the Horizon OS platform can throw at it. It’s not as lightning-fast as a modern console like a PS5, sure, but games and apps load reasonably quickly, and once you’re all booted up the software runs smoothly – well, at least as smoothly as it would on the full-on Meta Quest 3.
I hopped into a range of titles including Just Dance VR, the Vendetta Forever demo, Beat Saber, Walkabout Mini Golf, and a demo of Batman: Arkham Shadow, as well as mixed-reality experiences like Starship Home. The Meta Quest 3S had no trouble with any of them – and I had an absolute blast.
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Arkham Shadow is an excellent Quest 3S game (Image credit: Meta)
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It has you exploring every nook and cranny of Gotham (Image credit: Meta)
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But you can use the headset for other VR activities too, like Netflix (Image credit: Meta)
The main downgrade with this headset is not how well experiences run, but how good (or in this case not good) they look. Thanks to the the lower-resolution displays and fresnel lens system. which as mentioned introduces slight blurring at the edges of the image. there’s a noticeable drop in visual sharpness when you swap between the Meta Quest 3 with its 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye dual-display setup and the Meta Quest 3S with its 1832 x 1920 per eye single-display setup.
The screen-door effect is much more obvious too. This effect occurs when your eyes are too close to a screen with too few pixels and you're able to see horizontal and vertical black lines on the image – making it seem like you’re viewing the image through a screen door. On the Quest 3S, and other headsets that suffer from this effect, it can be a little immersion-breaking, especially if you've used a higher-resolution headset which doesn’t have the same issue.
If you’re distracted by an interactive VR or MR experience the Meta Quest 3S’ visual shortfalls are somewhat forgivable, but for activities such as streaming Netflix or kicking back with Xbox Cloud Gaming, which have you staring at a large virtual screen, the Quest 3S display's failings are a lot more noticeable.
Performance score: 4/5
Meta Quest 3S: Software and features
Can play all VR and MR Quest 3 experiences
Runs Horizon OS
Action button is an odd feature right now
Thanks to having identical specs where it counts, the Meta Quest 3S’ software and features are practically identical to the Meta Quest 3's. Every Meta Quest 3 exclusive – including the upcoming Batman: Arkham Shadow – nd all of my favorite titles are not only playable on the Quest 3S, but run as well as they would on the Quest 3.
Horizon OS – Meta’s Quest operating system – is clean, intuitive, feature-packed, and regularly updated (about once a month) with new enhancements or tools to enjoy at no additional cost.
The Quest 3S supports the same full-color passthrough capabilities as the Quest 3 for mixed reality – allowing you to enjoy games and apps that blend real-world and virtual elements. However, the Meta Quest 3S does miss out on a depth sensor.
Though ‘miss out’ isn’t quite right, as when the Meta Quest 3S scanned my room while setting up a mixed-reality space I found it was almost as accurate as the Quest 3 at detecting walls and furniture. I did have to make some minor adjustments, but surprisingly no major alterations to the scan were necessary.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
The biggest feature change (predominantly because it’s the only one of note) comes in the shape of the Action button. Rather than needing to slap the side of the headset twice in quick succession to swap between mixed and virtual reality – though you still can use this option – you can instead tap the Action button on the headset. I’m not sure why the Meta Quest 3S needs two different ways to quickly transition a player between virtual reality and passthrough, but I suspect the Action button might be made programmable in the future to better justify its existence.
You want an affordable VR headset At just $299.99 / £289.99 / AU$499.99, and with solid specs, the Meta Quest 3S is the best affordable VR headset out there right now.
You want to play the best VR games Running Horizon OS and giving you access to Meta’s library of exclusive titles, as well as being PCVR compatible (using a Link Cable or Air Link) means the Quest 3S can play all of the best VR games out there.
You want an entry-level option If you're new to VR and aren't ready to commit to a higher-end model this affordable headset is a fantastic stepping stone into the world of XR tech.
Don’t buy it if…
You demand visual excellence The Meta Quest 3S cuts costs compared to the full-on Quest 3 by using less-crisp displays and a blurrier fresnel lens system, which means its visuals aren’t as good as those of its sibling or some rivals.
You’re a VR power user While 128GB is enough for a lot of people, the storage space will get eaten up if you have a large enough digital library. If you like to download everything, and hate deleting and installing software, then shell out on a Quest 3 with its 512GB of storage.
You want supreme comfort The Meta Quest 3S is a little less comfortable than its sibling due to its bulkier frame. so you'll want to get that if you'd rather a comfier experience.
Also consider
Meta Quest 3 Its name has been dropped in this piece so frequently that I of course had to mention it here. If you’re after better visuals and more storage this is the VR headset for you. Read ourMeta Quest 3 review
Pico 4 Ultra The Pico 4 Ultra isn’t as strong a VR contender as the Meta Quest 3, but its add-on motion trackers for foot tracking are a unique tool that could give this VR headset the edge for some users. Read our Pico 4 Ultra review
PlayStation VR 2 Our sister site TRG called the PSVR 2 headset "an experience that’ll be well worth your hard-earned cash." If you have a PS5 already and want a VR headset this is one to check out, though the software library isn't quite as large as Meta's. Check out TRG's PSVR 2 review
Xreal Air 2 glasses It's not a VR headset, but these AR smart glasses are an alternative option for people looking to dip their toes into XR and who are more concerned with non-interactive entertainment uses, like streaming Netflix on a massive virtual screen. Read ourXreal Air 2 review
How I tested the Meta Quest 3S
I’ve been using my Meta Quest 3 at least weekly since I received it this time last year, so a lot of what the Meta Quest 3S was offering in terms of specs and software was extremely familiar to me. Because the Quest 3 is also the 3S’ closest competitor I spent a lot of time comparing the two headsets in terms of their design, comfort and the quality of their visuals.
To do this I booted up my favorite VR games on both headsets. I dove into hours-long play sessions to judge how the Quest 3S stacked up against the Meta Quest 3, but also how it holds up on its own merits – this is a review, not our Meta Quest 3 vs Meta Quest 3S comparison, after all.
To get an authentic experience I tested the Quest 3S with the base strap, facial interface, no headphones, and no other additional accessories. It was judged as it came out of the box.
The Pico 4 Ultra is giving me serious deja vu, and it’s not entirely the good kind.
That’s because its launch is extremely reminiscent of its predecessor; the base Pico 4. A Meta Quest VR headset is the dominant force in the budget/mid range market (then the Meta Quest 2, now the Meta Quest 3), and Pico is launching a device with better specs at an only marginally higher price.
In this instance, the Pico 4 Ultra will net you the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset, 256GB of storage, and 12GB of RAM for £529 (around $695 / AU$1025). Meanwhile, the Meta Quest 3 ($499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.99) only boasts 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM with the same chipset.
But despite that additional oomph, the Pico 4 Ultra (like the Pico 4 before it) is let down by a lack of software with which to demonstrate its hardware superiority.
With Meta picking up more and more hard-hitting exclusives that you can’t play on Pico systems – including entries in major gaming franchises like Assassin’s Creed and the Batman Arkham series – the severe lack of return fire from Pico is disappointing. Couple that with Meta’s superb OS support and optimizations which the Pico operating system isn’t matching (at least right now) and it’s clear the Pico 4 Ultra isn’t winning in every area – and software-wise the fight isn’t even close.
The Pico 4 Ultra does, however, have a few unique features that could entice you and software developers to pay it some respect.
The first is its spatial footage capture. While it is inconvenient and something of a useless novelty in practice, if a few OS updates can bring some quality improvements this tool could be a fun one for recording memories or creating an experimental stereoscopic film (if you’re willing to put in the effort) without needing to buy an iPhone 15 Pro or Apple Vision Pro.
More importantly it has Meta Connect, a free Virtual Desktop alternative that allows you to connect to your PC wirelessly or use a compatible USB-C cable for productivity and PCVR gaming. In my testing it worked very well and seems a little more feature rich and reliable than Meta’s free Air Link.
Last but by no means least are the Pico 4 Ultra’s standout Motion Trackers. Annoyingly, you have to pay extra for them, but these foot trackers bring a great level of immersion to compatible apps for only £79 (around $100 / AU$150) for a pair – or a lot less if you pick up the preorder bundle or a different deal that I’m sure we’ll see during future sales events like Black Friday. These alone could be the best reason to pick up the Pico 4 Ultra.
Pico 4 Ultra: Specs
Pico 4 Ultra review: Price and Availability
The Pico 4 Ultra has only one model (the specs are listed above, but the notable stats are 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage) and it goes on sale in the UK on September 20 for £529 (around $695 / AU$1025). No Australia or US launch has yet been announced.
The Pico 4 Ultra preorder bundle (Image credit: Future)
Preorders go live on September 6 and if you preorder the Ultra you’ll get a few free goodies; namely two free motion trackers (more on those in the Features section) as well as four games:
Blade & Sorcery: Nomad
Infinite Inside
Let’s Get Fit VR
FootPool
The lack of a truly global launch schedule isn’t unheard of for Pico – the original Pico 4 still isn’t available in the US – but it’s always a surprise to see Pico’s headsets dodge a major market, especially this time when the Ultra boasts such impressive internals. Yes, it’s a little pricier than a Meta Quest 3 ($499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.99) but offers an additional 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage which is an upgrade that could entice a lot of VR users; that is, if they weren’t locked out because the Pico 4 Ultra is unavailable in their part of the world.
Value score: 4/5
Pico 4 Ultra review: Performance
Every VR game and app runs smoothly
Nothing feels like it needs 12GB of RAM
The Pico 4 Ultra boasts some fantastic hardware upgrades over its predecessor, which help it deliver a stronger performance in VR and MR. The principal upgrades are to its chipset with the Ultra relying on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset (instead of the Gen 1 like the regular Pico 4) and 12GB of RAM (up from 8GB).
When testing the headset with a good mixture of games – Infinite Inside, Arizona Sunshine 2, All-In-One Sports VR, and Angry Birds VR – everything ran smoothly and looked good on the new device.
The battery is housed at the back of the strap (Image credit: Future)
There were no hiccups in mixed reality either. Infinite Inside jumps between MR and VR while Angry Birds VR offers a dedicated MR mode for all of its levels. Both titles ran really well in this blended real-and-virtual setting – even when large chain reactions in Angry Birds sent pigs and many blocks that formerly made up their structures flying in different directions.
Now it’s officially announced, with any luck we should see some next-gen upgrades make their way to Pico 4 Ultra games and apps too – just like we saw with Quest 3 titles when Meta’s Quest line made the jump to the XR 2 Gen 2.
My only concern so far is I feel I’ve yet to experience anything that pushes the Pico 4 Ultra in a way which warrants that extra 4GB of RAM over other mid-range VR headsets with an XR2 Gen 2 chipset which only have 8GB (i.e. the Quest 3). Games and apps on those rival systems also run really well, and if Pico is asking us to pay more than its rivals charge because of the Ultra’s improvements, I’d like to see some really concrete reasons why that higher RAM and price is worthwhile.
Hopefully, some made for Pico 4 Ultra software will highlight how necessary the upgrades are, though we’ll have to wait and see what’s announced. For now we can at least enjoy the very solid mid-range headset Pico has delivered.
Performance score: 5/5
Pico 4 Ultra review: Design
Counterbalanced design is appreciated for comfort
No silicon facial interface in the box
The Pico 4 Ultra (unsurprisingly) takes plenty of design cues from the base Pico 4; so much so you might assume they’re the same device at a glance. The Ultra is almost the same weight (580g instead of 586g), features more prominent mixed-reality sensors, and its controllers have lost their icon spiral tracking ring – in favor of the Quest 3 handsets’ tracking ring-less design.
However, you still get a VR gadget clad in a light gray plastic casing, with an adjustable plastic head strap that creates a counterbalanced design – as the device’s battery is housed at the back of the strap (so the battery sits at the back of your head) to offset the weight of the display and other components that are sitting on your face.
Pico 4 Ultra controllers (Image credit: Future)
While this certainly aided the Pico 4 Ultra’s overall comfort, the headset was let down by its facial interface and rigid head strap cushion that left me wanting more in terms of support and fit. As a result, the headset didn’t feel leaps and bounds ahead of its non-counterbalanced headset counterparts. I’d go as far to say it was merely on par which was a shame.
I’m also disappointed that Pico – much like other headset makers – refuses to give you a silicon face cushion in the box. Fabric cushions get sweaty even if you don’t plan to play fitness apps meaning they’re generally gross to share with others, and cleaning fabric interfaces is a real pain. Silicon facial interfaces should be standard, not an additional purchase. At least it comes with a spacer attachment so you can make room for your prescription specs without needing to buy bespoke lenses (*cough*Apple Vision Pro *cough*).
The last negative aspect – though one I’m more torn on – is a fan that blows inside the headset while you’re wearing it to prevent the lenses fogging. While this can be handy I often found the breeze annoying as it kept blowing in my eyes causing them to feel extra dry. After a while you get a bit used to it, but the same feature was present in the Pico 4 and online forums suggest it’s one of those things people either love or hate. I’m more in the hate camp, but it comes down to personal preference.
Otherwise, the Pico 4 Ultra is fairly standard. It boasts USB-C charging and a familiar control layout on its handsets – save for two additional menu buttons meaning that the left controller has a dedicated button for the main Pico menu and another for the in-game pause menu, while the right controller has the same main Pico menu button and a dedicated screenshot button (which comes in handy for capturing impromptu clips).
Last but not least, the Pico 4 Ultra boasts continuous interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment from 58-72mm. IPD adjustments are essential for ensuring the VR headset’s lenses are spaced the correct distance apart for your eyes to avoid blurriness, and a continuous adjustment setup allows for a higher degree of personalization compared to the three or four pre-set distances offered by some models (i.e. the Meta Quest 2).
Design score: 4/5
Pico 4 Ultra review: Software
Many great VR and MR games and apps
Pico lacks meaningful exclusives
Coming into this review my main concern for the Pico 4 Ultra was its software. It might have the best specs we’ve ever seen on a mid-range standalone VR headset but without software to take advantage of this performance there’d be no point buying one.
I’m therefore pleased to report that the Pico 4 Ultra’s software library is good, bordering on great.
Navigating the virtual store is more of a pain then it should be – a cleaner layout and better app curation would go a long way here – but using the search bar to look up my favorite titles (Walkabout Mini Golf, The Last Clockwinder, Painting VR, and Pistol Whip to name a few) I found almost everything I was looking for. Best of all, the titles were all as content-packed and feature-complete as their counterparts on other platforms (something that hasn’t always been true for the Pico 4 system).
My only concern is that the Pico 4 Ultra is lacking in notable exclusives beyond its TikTok VR app. I know, I know, exclusive software is a contentious subject and I agree that overall they’re a bad deal for consumers. But under its belt the Meta Quest 3 (the Pico 4 Ultra’s main rival) has some massive hitters which Pico can’t currently compete with – we’re talking Beat Saber, Resident Evil 4 VR, Assassin's Creed Nexus, Asgard’s Wrath 2, Batman: Arkham Shadow, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and soon (ironically because it was originally announced as a Pico 4 exclusive) Just Dance VR, among others.
Where is Pico's Arkham Shadow competitor? (Image credit: Meta / Camouflaj)
Some major upcoming titles like Just Dance VR and Alien: Rogue Incursion (which is also due out on the PSVR 2) could get Pico 4 Ultra release dates after the headset’s launch now that the device isn’t a secret, but Pico really needs to start swinging with some major games and apps you can’t find anywhere else. Until then there’s a clear winner in terms of the headset that’ll give you the most complete VR software experience, and it isn’t Pico.
What’s more, cross-platform titles will have to play to the lowest common denominator. That means they won’t be optimized for the Pico 4 Ultra’s 12GB of RAM; they'll also be designed with headsets in mind that only have 6GB or 8GB of RAM. This means you won’t get the most out of the extra specs you’re paying for unless the app creators devote extra time to Ultra-exclusive upgrades (which there’s no guarantee they will).
At least you can connect the Pico 4 Ultra to a PC to play SteamVR games, helping to expand its library further. You do so using the Pico Connect app which facilitates both wired and wireless experiences in much the same way as the third-party Virtual Desktop app. I tried the wireless version for some SteamVR games and found it ran pretty well, though your experience will depend on your home Wi-Fi speed – so you may find a wired connection is more stable.
My only critique is that when using Pico Connect for productivity apps like Google Docs I didn’t have a virtual keyboard. Using a real one in mixed reality is fine, but the option of a floating keyboard would have been appreciated.
I also found the Pico 4 Ultra’s operating system to be fairly clean. It’s very similar to Meta’s HorizonOS – likely because both are built on Android – so transitioning to it was simple enough, and I expect VR newcomers would be able to navigate fairly easily too. It does noticeably lack some of HorizonOS optimizations and smoothness at times, but Pico could address this in future updates.
Software score: 3.5/5
Pico 4 Ultra review: Features
Motion Trackers are impressive
Spatial image camera seems pointless
As for features, the one you’ll all want to know about is the Pico 4 Ultra’s mixed-reality performance. Again the simple descriptor I’d go for is ‘it’s good’. For mixed reality the Pico 4 Ultra boasts two 32MP cameras, and a depth sensor – a step up on the base model’s single 16MP lens and no depth sensor setup. The end result is a vibrant passthrough image with less (but not quite zero) distortion than what we’ve seen from Pico before – at the fringes I did notice the passthrough feed shifting unrealistically at times.
Though it’s far from lifelike, there’s the same graininess you’ll find from other mid-range devices like the Meta Quest 3 – graininess which you’ll also see in the footage recorded by the Pico 4 Ultra’s new spatial camera.
Here's one of the Motion Trackers... (Image credit: Future)
That’s right, just like the Apple Vision Pro you can use the headset to record spatial video that you can watch later. It’s interesting, sure, but far from useful. Someone on Reddit or X will post a video of them carrying their Pico 4 Ultra around to capture moments in spatial video or as spatial photos, but 99.99% of people won’t. Instead they’ll do exactly what I did – take a picture of their office / their living room / another space in their home, say “huh, that’s neat” when they see the stereoscopic image, and promptly never use it again.
I think spatial content capture is better handled by phones or accessories like the Xreal Beam Pro as these are devices you can reasonably carry with you to capture moments you’d like to remember and relive – and the quality would be higher too.
Finally, let's talk about the Motion Trackers, easily the best of the Pico 4 Ultra’s accessories.
When I strapped them to my ankles I expected the trackers would pick up general leg motion but might struggle with specifics – for example, it wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between me raising my foot with my knee bent, and raising my foot keeping my leg straight. I was very wrong.
I tried a bunch of maneuvers trying to trick the ankle bracelets, and the little VR avatar the app showed me mimicked my poses perfectly.
... and here's one of the weird poses I tried to use to trick them (Image credit: Future)
They were also super easy to set up and calibrate, with the only (minor) inconvenience being that I had to remember to roll my jeans up so that the trackers were exposed and not hidden behind my clothing (as I write this I realize I could have instead put them over the top of jeans, but regardless it was the most minor of minor inconveniences anyway).
Obviously, the thing to note is that unless you’ve picked them up as part of the preorder bundle – or another deal that comes later during Black Friday or otherwise – the Motion Trackers cost £79 for a pair. What’s more, they only work with a few titles – Pico says “20+” for standalone Pico 4 Ultra games as well as any motion tracker enabled SteamVR experiences.
If you play these titles regularly I think the trackers can add a fair amount of immersion – actually getting to kick a virtual football or feel like the headset was properly tracking my full body movement was a blast – though I’d recommend trying to get them as part of a discounted bundle if you can (or only picking them up if your digital library is well stocked with compatible experiences).
Features score: 4.5/5
Should you buy the Pico 4 Ultra?
Buy it if…
You want the best specs for a mid-range device
The Pico 4 Ultra has some really solid specs for its price, so if you value the best hardware for your budget then it could be just what you’re after.
You want foot tracking
With its optional Motion Trackers you can bring accurate foot tracking to several VR titles. Yes, they’re an additional add-on, but they’re not an accessory every standalone headset can support, so it could be worth picking an Ultra up for that reason alone.
You hate Facebook If Meta has rubbed you the wrong way with its privacy practices over the years, or you don’t enjoy the Quest ecosystem’s Facebook integrations, then the Pico 4 Ultra is the best mid-range, non-Meta headset you can buy right now.
Don’t buy it if…
You want the broadest VR software library
The Pico 4 Ultra is lacking many major standalone VR titles because they’re exclusive to its biggest rival (Meta). If you’re desperate to play any of them (like, say, Batman: Arkham Shadow) you shouldn’t buy a Pico 4 Ultra.
You’re after something cheaper While the Pico 4 Ultra is good value for money, it is pricier than other mid-range standalone headsets like the Meta Quest 3. Not by a lot, but the £50 difference could instead be spent on software or something non-VR related.
You want a spatial image capture device
Yes, the Pico 4 Ultra can be used for spatial image capture – a unique feature for mid-range XR headsets – but the quality isn’t high enough, nor the feature anywhere close to convenient enough, for it to be a deciding factor in your purchase decision.
Also consider
Meta Quest 3
Surprise, surprise after it was name-dropped a few times throughout this review. If you’re looking at mid-range VR headsets, you can’t not consider the king of them. Yes the Pico 4 Ultra has some advantages, but so does the Meta Quest 3, so you seriously don’t want to dismiss this alternative.
Meta Quest 3S Okay, so this headset isn’t even announced officially yet, but I’m dropping it in here because so many leaks (including several from Meta itself) say it’s coming and that it’ll be announced on September 25 at Meta Connect 2024. It likely won’t boast the same specs as the Pico 4 Ultra but is expected to be a lot cheaper, so it might be worth waiting a little longer to see if the Quest 3S is announced and if this more budget-friendly device tickles your fancy.
Xreal Air 2 These AR smart glasses are a very different prospect to the Pico 4 Ultra VR headset, but with the help of the Xreal Beam Pro they offer many useful features in a similarly priced package – including a wearable private movie theater and high-quality spatial footage capture.
The latest model of gaming earbuds from boutique Japanese audio brand Final, the Final VR3000 are designed to deliver some seriously immersive sound. Made with a focus on binaural recording, they are nothing short of a massive success. It's hard not to be blown away by the large and highly detailed soundstage that has been crammed into these tiny buds.
From a gaming perspective, this means that audio has a clear sense of direction. Footsteps in competitive shooters such as Counter-Strike 2and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3are easy to track, giving you a distinct advantage in online matches, while cinematic hits like Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2sound exceptionally rich and life-like than ever. There was even a moment during my testing when an unseen door was opened behind my character in Hitman 3and I instinctively turned around in real life, thoroughly convinced that the sound was really coming from behind me.
This high level of immersion makes them a great fit for virtual reality (VR) play too, where the earbuds do an excellent job of staying put thanks to their comfortable and secure design. They’re also very light, coming in at just 0.7oz / 20g in total which helps prevent fatigue over lengthy gaming sessions. A generous selection of five pairs of ear tips is included in the box, alongside some removable ear hooks, making it easy to find the perfect fit.
As impressive as this all is, there is still some room for improvement. The earbuds feature an in-line microphone, which is built into a small controller with two volume buttons and a pause button. The microphone itself is okay, offering slightly muffled recording that is just about good enough if you’re chatting with friends in an online match but nothing to write home about, though the volume controls and pause button only seem to work on mobile devices. This isn’t a huge dealbreaker, but it does sting given the more premium price point of the Final VR3000 compared to alternatives.
(Image credit: Future)
Final VR3000: Price and availability
$79.99 / £69.99 / around AU$120
Available via Amazon
First released in December 2020
The Final VR3000 earbuds retail for $79.99 / £69.99 / around AU$120 and are readily available at Amazon in the US, UK, and Australia. This price tag puts them towards the higher end of the wired gaming earbuds market, where they begin to compete with some wireless options and even full-size wireless gaming headsets. Still, this seems like a fair price to pay given the high audio quality on offer here and the fact that Final is a more premium specialist brand.
Final VR3000: Specs
Final VR3000: Design and features
The Final VR3000 are compact and comfortable to wear, with an overall design that shares a lot in common with many professional in-ear monitor (IEM) earbuds. They have a modern, angular shape that allows each bud to slot neatly into your ear with the cable pointing upwards. Like a pair of IEMs, you then hook the cable around the top of your ear which adds some extra support. Because of this, it takes a few seconds to get the earbuds into place but the fit feels extremely secure. I moved around a lot throughout my testing period, particularly when I was playing more intensive VR titles like Vampire: The Masquerade - Justiceand Beat Arena, and the buds never became loose or came close to falling out.
A total of five pairs of alternate ear tips are included in the box, ranging from extra small to extra large in size, so you have lots of options to tweak the fit if the default configuration doesn’t work for you. Each set of ear tips is color-coded, with one side sporting a bright red or pink band on its underside. Final states that this is designed to allow you to more easily tell the left and right earbuds apart in low light conditions, which is a great touch and shows some real attention to detail. A pair of small ear hooks are also bundled in, though I found that these were fragile and awkward to install.
(Image credit: Future)
The inside of each earbud is clearly labeled with a small printed left or right indicator, in addition to the Final logo and the model name. They are constructed from a hard matt plastic and connected to a 4ft / 1.2m long cable. Some basic audio controls in the form of a clicky volume up, volume down, and pause button are built into the cable connected to the right earbud, as is a tiny in-line microphone. The materials of the Final VR3000 all feel uniformly premium and the earbuds come with a small black fabric carrying pouch for easy transport.
Final VR3000: Performance
The performance of the Final VR3000 is incredibly impressive in almost every respect. In a game with well-implemented binaural sound, like Escape from Tarkovor Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, they are nothing short of perfect. Environmental sounds are clean and crisp, further elevated by an eerily life-like sense of direction and depth. The overall tuning is on the bass-heavy side, which might cause you to lower the volume a little in titles with lots of punchy sound effects like gunfire or explosions, but it gives in-game soundtracks a really satisfying weight. Moments of emotional climax in The Last of Us Part 2and Alan Wake 2were just sublime.
The earbuds are also perfect for VR gaming. Paired with the Meta Quest 2VR headset and my PC, the intricately detailed city of Half Life: Alyxcame through with impressive clarity, and everything from the distant hum of vehicles to the chatter of nearby civilians was recreated beautifully. The same was true when it came to a range of native Meta Quest 2 games and I was pleasantly surprised that the earbuds didn't cause any noticeable fatigue during my sessions. If you’re looking for a pair of earbuds to use specifically with a VR headset, then the Final VR3000 are very easy to recommend.
Given this excellent performance, I was a little disappointed to discover that the microphone here is just average. Friends reported that I sounded slightly muffled but still intelligible, and on work calls the buds let in a lot of background noise. It’s also a shame that the onboard controls only work with mobile devices. Having to navigate to a menu on your console or PC in order to adjust the volume isn’t the end of the world but is still pretty inconvenient.
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Final VR3000?
Buy it if...
You want more immersive audio from your earbuds The Final VR3000 offer highly immersive audio with a real sense of direction and depth. Pick up a pair if you want the very latest games to sound incredibly life-like and rich.
You need earbuds for VR These earbuds have a design that is absolutely perfect for virtual reality. They help VR games sound their absolute best and stay comfortable and secure while you play.
Don't buy it if...
You want the best mic The microphone of the Final VR3000 is bang average. You can find cheaper earbuds that offer comparable (or even sometimes better) microphone performance. See the comparison below for some other options.
Also consider...
If you’re not fully satisfied with what the Final VR3000 has to offer, these two cheaper alternatives are well worth your consideration.
Final VR500 They lack the punchy bass of the Final VR3000, but these budget-friendly gaming earbuds are also from Final and are the definite way to go if you want some impressive sound at a much lower price.
SteelSeries Tusq What the SteelSeries Tusq loses in overall audio quality and build, it gains in microphone fidelity. These affordable gaming earbuds feature a removable boom mic that makes them the best option for chatting.
I used the Final VR3000 as my primary gaming earbuds for more than two weeks, using them almost daily. During that time I tested them with a wide variety of platforms including PS5, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Steam Deck OLED. I played a wide variety of games in order to assess their performance, including Counter-Strike 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Escape from Tarkov, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Luigi’s Mansion 2, The Crew Motorfest, The Caligula Effect 2, and more.
I also tried plenty of VR games using my PC and a Meta Quest 2 headset, such as Gun Club VR, Half-Life: Alyx, Vampire: The Masquerade - Justice, and Beat Arena. I chatted with friends and recorded a selection of audio files in a variety of settings using two separate PCs in order to assess the performance of the microphone. Throughout the testing period, I compared my experience with my hands-on testing of other gaming earbuds such as the Final VR500, SteelSeries Tusq, Turtle Beach Battle Buds, and more.
Platform reviewed: PSVR 2 Available on: PSVR 2, Meta Quest, Steam VR Release date: December 7, 2023
Some of the best sequels feel familiar but with everything amped up, dials turned Spinal Tap-style up to 11. Arizona Sunshine 2 is one of them, and nearly everything about the VR zombie shooter is remarkably bombastic, from its varied arsenal of guns and environmental synergy all the way to its crude sense of humor. The Walking Dead, this ain’t; if you’re looking for a high-octane zombie shooter that doesn’t take itself even remotely seriously, then Arizona Sunshine 2 is very easy to recommend.
Arizona Sunshine was a trailblazer in virtual reality, and so is Arizona Sunshine 2. Plenty of VR-centric mechanics are present here, and all work incredibly well. Expect manual reloading, climbing, dual-wielding, and a highly interactive environment. It’s all just pushed up a notch thanks to the impressively large hordes of zombies (or Freds, as our plucky hero affectionately coins them, bound by the standard video game agreement to never, ever, ever call them zombies), intense chase sequences and a wealth of stunning set pieces that never failed at making me crack a smile.
Some universal VR frustrations do show themselves here; you’ll most likely need to fiddle with your utility belt’s positioning, and the busy inventory system is at odds with the breakneck pacing of Arizona Sunshine 2’s combat. But these small irritations don’t take much away from the excellent experience Vertigo Games has crafted here.
Fred’s (un)dead, baby
(Image credit: Vertigo Games)
Your adventure in Arizona Sunshine 2 begins straightforwardly enough. A relatively easygoing first level introduces you to shooting and reloading with a simple handgun while peppering in opportunities to explore your environment for extra goodies.
Arizona Sunshine 2 instantly does a brilliant job of teaching the player to be keenly aware of their surroundings at all times, and constantly incentivizes you to explore beyond the critical path. Not just because zombies can emerge from a shadowy nook at a moment’s notice, but it’s also how you’ll find the bulk of ammunition, crafting items, and - crucially - new weapons to try out.
Curiosity is strongly encouraged, which is great (banned word), because poking around the arenas highlights how much care and attention has gone into crafting the game’s environments. You’ll be finding all kinds of resources under stairwells, in fridges and desk drawers, suitcases and car seats. Basically, if you’re looking at an area and thinking to yourself, “I’d probably hide something there,” chances are the devs are way ahead of you.
Best bit
(Image credit: Vertigo Games)
Your canine companion, Buddy, is easily the best part of Arizona Sunshine 2. This adorably vicious pup can help fetch items, explore smaller crevices, and tear zombies to shreds all with one context-sensitive button. Oh, you can give him head pats and play fetch, too!
Onto gunplay, Vertigo Games has nailed it with a wide variety of weapons - of the ranged and melee variety - that feel universally fantastic to play around with. There’s a strong sense of realism here, especially in regards to accuracy and recoil. Continual firing will knock your aim off-kilter, and that’s nowhere more apparent than with the AK-47, which appropriately kicks like a mule. That feedback is brilliantly realized in the PSVR 2’s Sense controllers, too, with their haptics lending weapons a tactile feel.
Actually fighting zombies in Arizona Sunshine 2 is a joy. When met with a bullet, their heads pop like watermelons with the sound design to match. Dealing with faster zombies? You can shoot out their legs as an effective means of crowd control. If you’re careful, you’re also more than a match for larger hordes; a well-placed grenade can immediately blast them into orbit and the flamethrower is an efficient method of sowing fiery chaos in their ranks.
It’s all brought together by how you’ll manually handle each gun in the game. As mentioned, reloading is tactile and involved; you’ll need to eject the clip, reach to your utility belt for a fresh one, load it in and cock the weapon all by hand. It sounds like a lot - and it is - but it quickly becomes second nature and adds no small amount of tension to combat. You can also hold weapons with both hands, enhancing accuracy and stability and something that’s practically required for the larger, more unwieldy guns.
And Buddy was his name-o
(Image credit: Vertigo Games)
By far my favorite addition to Arizona Sunshine 2 is Buddy, the protagonist’s dog companion freed from a downed chopper in the game’s first chapter. Not only is Buddy beyond adorable, but it’s clear that so much care has gone into animating him realistically and having him act, well, like a dog really would. So much so that you could almost class Arizona Sunshine 2 as a dog-walking simulator. Just one with guns and Molotov cocktails and nasty bitey zombies. Sorry, yes… Freds.
Buddy’s fantastic when it comes to crowd control, as he’s able to eviscerate basic zombies and keep more threatening ones away from you for a while. He’s also fitted with a utility belt of his own; you can fit extra weapons and items to Buddy if you’re fully loaded. And while you never really feel godlike or invincible in Arizona Sunshine 2, Buddy’s versatility does lend an element of power fantasy as you carve your way through the encroaching hordes together.
Also noteworthy is Buddy’s AI, which seriously impresses. Buddy feels extremely intelligent and is very responsive to commands. Between telling him to explore the surroundings and attack zombies, I never once encountered any delays or ignored commands. If I told Buddy to do something, he did so almost immediately every single time.
By comparison, the zombies’ artificial intelligence isn’t quite as sharp. To a degree, you’d expect that; they are zombies, after all. But I did encounter zombies snagging themselves on scenery or shambling, not towards the nearest source of brains, but into a wall. In larger hordes, it was also quite common to see zombies clip through each other, which did temporarily harm the game’s otherwise phenomenal level of immersion.
Ultimately, though, oddities like this do not detract from the fantastic experience Arizona Sunshine 2 puts forward. Its relatively lengthy campaign is loaded with variety, from intense firefights to plenty of over-the-top setpieces like driving an airplane staircase through an infested runway or interrupting an undead pool party with a flamethrower. Arizona Sunshine 2 is essential for VR headset owners, and it’s a much-needed addition to PSVR 2’s library, especially after a rather concerning drought.
Accessibility
(Image credit: Future)
Arizona Sunshine 2 is very accommodating for VR players of all kinds. The game supports both standing and seated modes of play and includes helpful motion reduction features like teleport movement, vignetting, and the ability to skip climbing sequences. UI and utility belt calibration are also here, allowing you to set in-game elements to best suit your needs.
How we reviewed Arizona Sunshine 2
I played through Arizona Sunshine 2’s campaign on PSVR 2. Exploring each level thoroughly as I progressed enabled me to finish the game in just over eight hours. I also mixed up my playstyle between sitting and standing, while also toggling features like vignetting and climbing skips to aid in reducing motion sickness.
Want more excellent VR games like Arizona Sunshine 2? Consider checking out our guide to the best PSVR 2 games and updated VR modes you can play right now.
I’ve not spent a lot of time with the Meta Quest 3, but my roughly 30-minute demo with the new headset has given me a taste of what it has in store for users when it launches on October 10 – and I’m already hungry for more.
The improved performance and graphics provided by the new Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, the slimmed-down design, and the superior mixed reality experience it offers combine to create a VR gadget that feels like an excellent successor to the Oculus Quest 2.
Yes, the Quest 3 is pricier than the Quest 2 was at launch (coming in at $499.99 / £479.99, Australian pricing to be confirmed by Meta) for its cheapest model instead of $299.99 / £299.99 / AU$509.99) but its improvements certainly seem to justify the higher cost.
I’ll need to spend more time with the headset to get a proper feel for how it stacks up against the competition, but I already feel this may be the best VR headset out there; maybe finally replacing the ol’ reliable Oculus Quest 2, which has been my go-to headset recommendation for people looking to try what VR has to offer.
Meta Quest 3: Price and availability
Meta Quest 3 preorders went live on September 27 – the same day as Meta Connect 2023 – ahead of the official release date on October 10. You can choose between two models: a 128GB model at $499.99 / £479.99 (Australian pricing to be confirmed by Meta) and a 512GB option for $649.99 / £619.99 (Australian pricing to be confirmed by Meta). The only difference between the two is the on-board storage, so which one is best for you will depend on how many VR games and apps you want to have installed at any one time.
(Image credit: Meta)
Based on my experience with VR the 128GB model should be sufficient for most users. VR apps are generally fairly small in terms of file size, which means you should be able to download a lot before you fill up the headset. If you somehow do fill up the storage it’s also fairly easy to delete and redownload software quickly, as long as you have a decent internet connection.
That said, VR games are going up in scale, so 128GB might not go as far in the Quest 3 era. If you don’t like swapping out digital games, and you plan to use the Quest 3 a lot, you might need to invest in the larger model.
It’s also worth noting that the Quest 3 is pricier than the Oculus Quest 2 – which currently starts at $299.99 / £299.99 / AU$509.99 for the 128GB model – although as you’d hope for from a newer gadget the Quest 3 does offer some solid improvements that seem to justify the price.
Meta Quest 3: Performance
The Meta Quest 3 owes most of its performance improvements to the new Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset that powers it – which Qualcomm describes as a literal “game changer” for XR. Other upgrades are the new 2064 x 2208 pixel displays (one per eye) and the bump to 8GB of RAM, from 6GB on the Quest 2.
According to Qualcomm and Meta, the new XR2 is able to deliver two-and-a-half times better graphical performance compared to the Gen 1 chip found in the Oculus Quest 2, while simultaneously delivering 50% better GPU efficiency – which should help to keep the headset from overheating, and the battery from draining too quickly.
Speaking of which, Meta says the Quest 3’s battery can last for two hours and 12 minutes on average – that sounds about right for a VR headset, but I haven’t yet been able to test the Quest 3’s battery for myself to see how long it lasts. With the included 18W charger the headset can reportedly be charged from 0% to 100% in roughly two hours.
Mixed reality is very impressive on the Quest 3 (Image credit: Meta)
Numbers are one thing, but seeing the Quest 3 headset in action has sold me on the improvements Meta and Qualcomm claim the new Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip brings.
Text is notoriously difficult to read in VR, but the usually blurry letters had crisp defined edges that were clearly legible in the experiences I tried, such as Red Matter 2. As a matter of fact, all objects looked sharper, and free from the slight haze that outlines VR objects, causing them to blend together. Shadows and reflections look much more realistic too, which helps to bring VR and MR worlds to life.
In one demo for Red Matter 2, I was able to swap back and forth between the Quest 3 graphics and a Quest 2 emulation, and the difference in the visuals was striking. It was like going back to play one of my favorite PlayStation 1 games and realizing that the graphics are significantly worse than my nostalgia will let me remember. And in Assassin’s Creed Nexus, while the graphics weren’t on par with Red Matter 2, I was impressed by how busy the world felt, with large numbers of responsive NPCs and interactable items filling the space.
I’ll need to spend more time with the Meta Quest 3 to fully test how well it performs, but it does indeed appear to live up to Meta’s promise that this is its most powerful headset yet.
Meta Quest 3: Design
The Meta Quest 3 takes many of its design cues from the Quest 2, albeit with some enhancements that will be greatly appreciated by users.
The headset is a little heavier than its predecessor at 1.14lbs / 515g (the Quest 2 was 1.10lbs / 503g), but it’s a fair bit lighter than the 1.59lb / 722g Meta Quest Pro. It’s 40% slimmer than the Quest 2 though, and with the weight sitting closer to your face it does feel a little easier to wear (this is something I’ll only know for sure after using it for a few sessions that are longer than my 30-minute demo).
A more minor improvement (but one I love) is that IPD adjustments (how far the lenses are apart) are now managed by a little scroll wheel found underneath the headset’s visor. Unlike with the Quest 2, you don’t need to remove your headset to change how far the lenses are apart with the Quest 3, plus you’re not limited to three predetermined presets – you can scroll between a much wider range of options, so you can set the Quest 3’s lenses to suit you perfectly.
You’ll also see from the images that the Meta Quest 3 doesn’t just come in white; you can swap the strap, and some of the plastic casing, for orange and blue options. Unfortunately, these color options cost extra, but if you fall in love with your Quest 3 and want to personalize it they could be fun add-ons to pick up in the future.
The Meta Quest 3's left controller (Image credit: Meta)
Before trying out the Meta Quest 3 I was concerned that the controllers would be an issue. They don’t use a tracking ring, but unlike the Quest Pro’s controllers, which also lack tracking rings, they don’t have internal cameras to replace it.
Instead, the Quest 3’s handsets rely entirely on the headset’s cameras, IR LEDs in the controllers, and AI for tracking. I wasn’t convinced that this would be a suitable alternative, but having used the Quest 3 controllers I can report that they work just fine; in my demo I noticed no differences between using them and using the Quest 2’s controllers, save for the fact I no longer had to worry about a tracking ring bumping into something.
Meta Quest 3: Initial verdict
Like Meta’s previous Quest headsets, the Meta Quest 3 will support every single game and app currently on the Quest store. So if you own an Oculus Quest, Oculus Quest 2, or a Meta Quest Pro you’ll be able to bring your entire software library to the new headset.
You won’t just be enjoying old VR experiences, however – there are new and exciting mixed reality apps to explore with this headset. The Meta Quest 3’s standout feature is mixed reality with full-color passthrough. This isn’t new to Meta headsets – it first launched with the Meta Quest Pro – but the Quest 3 is the first headset in the affordable Quest line to get the feature. Plus, the Quest 3 does it better than the Pro.
The picture quality is significantly less grainy, and the colors look more vivid than what the Quest Pro’s passthrough produced. While the real world still doesn't look exactly true to life, the Quest 3’s video feed does make it look a lot more so, which I found helped to sell the mixed-reality experiences.
A recreation of what mixed reality looks (Image credit: Meta)
Another boost to MR is the improved AI provided by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, which in collaboration with the headset’s depth sensor and other external cameras can not only automatically map out your floor, but walls and other objects in the room as well. This allows mixed-reality experiences to interact more realistically with the space around you, and I found this made the feature feel a lot less gimmicky than on other headsets I’ve tried. Usually I ignore MR, but on the Quest 3 I can see myself turning it on as often as games and apps allow – I can’t wait to return to the mixed-reality Stranger Things and Samba de Amigo experiences I played in my demo.
I haven’t yet had the chance to use them, but the Quest 3’s new Augments sound like they’ll be great uses of mixed reality too. These mixed-reality widgets can be used to decorate your real-world space, and offer a range of different features. You can set up portals to your favorite games, get live weather updates for your local area, or just place a pretty-looking sculpture in the space. Best of all, Meta says these Augments will stay where you put them; so if you decorate your space with Augments during one session and then enter mixed reality in the same space on another day, everything will be just how you set it up before.
It’s also now a lot easier to swap between virtual reality and mixed reality – you just double-tap the right side of the headset to change your view.
Meta Quest 3: Initial verdict
The Meta Quest 3 is an impressive VR headset that takes mixed reality very seriously too. While it’s not as affordable as Meta’s Quest 2, it offers enough improvements that I feel it’s higher launch price is justified.
There are a few features I want to spend more time with before passing a final verdict on this new headset, but based on my early impressions this could be not just one of the best standalone VR headsets Meta has made, for most people, it might just be the best VR headset that money can buy.
The Pimax Crystal VR headset’s mission statement is to deliver the “ultra VR experience” for enthusiasts looking for the next step in immersive gaming. Armed with an exceptionally high pixel count, glass lenses, external tracking cameras, and even the option for an all-in-one mode, in theory, there’s enough under here to rival some of the best VR headsets. However, this one isn’t quite ready for prime time just yet.
However, factoring in the high price tag and the slow roll-out of promised features, the Pimax Crystal currently feels like a product that’s still in development to beta testers rather than the be-all-end-all PC VR and standalone solution that it could be.
Price and availability
The Pimax Crystal is available for $1,599 / £1,699 (around AU$2,500) which positions it as one of the most expensive consumer PR headsets available. As a frame of reference, this is around the same cost as the Meta Quest Pro when it launched and comparable to the HTC Vive Pro 2 with its controllers and base station.
Design and features
(Image credit: Future)
Marketed as having the “highest pixel amount of any consumer VR headset”, the Pimax Crystal’s unique selling point is all about the display: it offers a whopping total resolution of 5760 x 2880 with 35ppd (pixels-per-degrees). For context, that’s significantly higher than the likes of the PSVR 2 and the HP Reverb G2, but considering the jump up in price tag here, that’s also something you’d hope for. It makes for an incredibly high resolution of 2880 x 2880 per eye which can also run at either 90 or 120Hz depending on the supported software.
The build quality of the headset is solid and it’s constructed primarily of black plastic finished in an angular design. It’s very iterative on the company’s previous flagship, the Pimax 8K X, and overall looks and feels appropriate. However, at 960g / 2.11 lbs, it does feel a little heavy when you’re wearing it. There’s a cog wheel at the back which can be tightened or loosened to strap you in, and there’s also a large foam insert for glasses-wearers if you need the extra space.
Where the Pimax Crystal stands out from other PC VR headsets is in its dedicated all-in-one mode that can be activated with the flick of a switch on the device. Powering that is a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 as well as the PC VR Engine Dual-processor chips. The included 5m / 16ft braided cable plugs into the Pimax Crystal and then has DisplayPort, USB 3.0, and USB 2.0 which goes into the back of the PC.
There are two sizable battery packs (6000mAh) included which can be charged with USB-C, and you can swap batteries painlessly enough, using a sliding mechanism that lands with a satisfying click once in place. There’s also the standard power button, volume rocker on the right, and an interpupillary distance slider on the left top side of the headset with an autofocus range between 58-72mm that can be manually adjusted.
Adding to the premium nature of the Pimax Crystal are the high-fidelity DMAS off-ear headphones built into the headset itself, and the four external depth-of-field cameras inside the headset - which means there’s no need for a base station. A base station is traditionally used in high-end PC VR headsets such as the Steam Index to accurately track hand and eye movements. These stations can take up a fair amount of space in your setup or room, so it’s a big plus that this manufacturer has built the cameras into the model itself to negate that.
The two controllers that ship with the Pimax Crystal are similar to what you’ll find on the Meta Quest Pro with a stick and two face buttons on each one, combined with a bumper, trigger, and menu buttons. They are sleek and lightweight, with a good feel in the hand, and charge via USB-C.
Performance
(Image credit: Future)
The company promises a five-minute start-up time from when you plug everything into getting into a game - and in my experience, that’s not too far off the mark. The Pimax Play app itself is easy to use and as well as depicting the headset, controllers, and tracking on screen, also allows you to make further alterations from room settings, to configuring things such as floor calibration, and starting the device remotely.
For the bulk of my time spent with the Pimax Crystal, the eye and finger tracking functionality did not work, however, that’s now been corrected in a recent firmware update, which has also added the standalone mode. Inside the Pimax Play app, I was able to calibrate my eyes and then look around in a virtual space and it worked well, and the same can be said of finger tracking which, while originally glitchy and imprecise a few weeks ago, is now smooth overall.
The standalone mode features its own suite of games available on the Pimax storefront and, while I can commend the fact that it works and looks solid enough, there’s a real lack of compelling, must-have software right now. It feels like an afterthought, and an ultimately odd inclusion in practice for a high-end PC VR headset aimed at the hardcore crowd who aren’t going to want to use this mode, ultimately adding both bulk to the headset and inflating the price to what it is. It’s more of a novelty than something you’ll get any real use out of.
When it comes to PC VR, though, the Pimax Crystal truly shines in supported software, especially when booted up in Steam VR. While the headset essentially emulates the Valve Index for usability, the user experience overall is truly top-tier. The resolution of 2880 x 2880 per eye means that the games tested, including the ground-breaking Half-Life: Alyx, were exceptional. Where I’ve previously had tunnel vision or felt disconnected from VR environments using the likes of the Meta Quest 2 and the older Oculus Rift S, this was not the case with the Crystal due to how sharp and detailed the textures were. There were times when I was left speechless reaching out into the world.
This is bolstered by the excellent audio quality of the DMAS off-ear headphones which added an immersive and accurate surround sound experience. I could hear everything from the whirling of space-age ships flying through the sky right down to more subtle noises such as a can being kicked over or footsteps from behind a closed wooden door - it all sounded incredibly real. I have never experienced audio of this quality from VR, and it would even rival some of the best gaming headsets.
Ultimately, the Pimax Crystal is incredibly powerful and offers the best visual and audio fidelity you can get right now, but you're paying a premium for the privilege. It's why it is a hard sell to all but those enthusiasts who want top-end performance, as for everyone else, you're better off with something with a more aggressive price-to-performance ratio like the Valve Index or something standalone like the Meta Quest 2.
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if…
You want leading image quality in VR
The Pimax Crystal features an incredibly high resolution with each eye running higher pixel counts than many other models on the market.
Stellar audio in VR is a must
The DMAS off-ear headphones are some of the best I’ve used compared to other PC VR gaming headsets available now.
Don’t buy it if…
You want good value for money
The Pimax Crystal is one of the most expensive VR headsets that you can buy right now. The Valve Index and Meta Quest 2 are both better options in terms of price-to-performance and also come in at a cheaper starting price.
You want compelling standalone software
While the Pimax Play now offers its standalone mode, the lacking game support leaves a lot to be desired despite good functionality compared to the likes of the far cheaper Oculus Quest 2.
The Pimax Crystal will be able to play some of the best VR games, and you'll want to make sure you've got one of the best graphics cards and the best CPU to make the most of it.
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