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Meta Quest 3 vs Valve Steam Frame

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

MetaQuest 3ValveSteam Frame
Overview
ReleasedOctober 2023September 2026
Display
Resolution per eye2064 × 22082160 × 2160
PanelLCDLCD
Refresh rate120 Hz144 Hz
Pixels per degree25–
Field of view110° horizontal110° horizontal
Display detailsTwo LCD panels, 2064 × 2208 per eye; 25 PPD, 1218 PPI; 72, 90 and 120 Hz (Meta's developer documentation lists 72–120 Hz, and up to 207 Hz for apps that request it)Two 2160 × 2160 LCD panels, one per eye; 72, 80, 90, 120 and 144 Hz (144 Hz experimental)
LensesPancake lenses; 110° horizontal and 96° vertical field of view; facial interface depth adjustmentCustom pancake lenses with glass and non-glass elements; field of view up to 110° (Valve gives 110° horizontal and vertical to UploadVR); eyeglasses up to 140 mm wide
Lens spacing (IPD)Continuous lens spacing adjustment (58–70 mm) with a wheel, accommodating IPDs of 53–75 mm60–70 mm target range, adjusted with a wheel on top of the headset
Tracking and input
Eye trackingNoYes
Hand trackingYesNo
Controllers in the boxYesYes
Colour passthroughYesNo
SensorsInside-out with four IR cameras and two RGB cameras; hybrid computer vision and machine learning controller tracking; Direct Touch hand trackingInside-out; 4 outward-facing monochrome cameras for headset and controller tracking with IR illuminators for low light; 2 interior cameras for eye tracking and foveated streaming; no controller-free hand tracking (UploadVR)
ControllersTwo Touch Plus controllers (ring-free), TruTouch variable haptics; one AA battery eachSteam Frame Controllers with 6-DoF tracking, ABXY buttons (right), D-pad (left), full-size magnetic TMR thumbsticks with capacitive touch, analogue triggers, bumpers, dual-stage grip buttons, capacitive finger tracking and a haptic motor; one AA battery each, about 40 hours; 130 g each with battery
PassthroughFull-colour passthrough from two RGB cameras (4 MP, 18 PPD) with a depth projectorMonochrome passthrough from the outward-facing cameras; front expansion port (dual MIPI camera interface or PCIe Gen 4 x1) takes accessories such as the Arcturus Vision colour camera
Performance
WorksStandalone or with a PCStandalone or with a PC
ChipSnapdragon XR2 Gen 2Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Storage128 GB, 512 GB256 GB, 1 TB
Chip detailsSnapdragon XR2 Gen 24 nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, ARM64; runs SteamOS 3 (Arch-based) with KDE Plasma desktop
Memory8 GB RAM16 GB unified LPDDR5X; 256 GB or 1 TB UFS storage; microSD card slot
ConnectionsPC VR over the Meta Quest Link cable or Air Link over Wi-Fi; Wi-Fi 6EStreams from a PC, Steam Deck or Steam Machine over Wi-Fi; headset has Wi-Fi 7 2 × 2 with dual radios (5 GHz Wi-Fi and 6 GHz VR streaming at once); Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz) USB wireless adapter included; Bluetooth 5.4; no DisplayPort cable connection
Design
BatteryBuilt inBuilt in
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 2.2 hours–
Weight (headset)515 g440 g
Battery details5,060 mAh; up to 2.2 hours on average (gaming 2.4, media 2.9, productivity 1.5 hours); about 2.3 hours to charge with the 18 W adapter; USB-C and dock contact pads21.6 Wh Li-ion battery at the back of the headstrap; charges over USB-C 2.0 at up to 45 W (15 V, 3 A); Valve doesn't give a battery life
AudioIntegrated stereo speakers with 3D spatial audio; 3.5 mm headphone jackDual speaker drivers per ear built into the headstrap; dual microphone array
StrapSoft adjustable strap; hard strap sold separatelyModular headstrap (245 g) holding the speakers and battery; the 185 g core module detaches for other straps; core module and facial interface 175 × 95 × 110 mm
In the boxHeadset, adjustable standard facial interface, two Touch Plus controllers with AA batteries and wrist straps, power adapter, charging cableHeadset, two Steam Frame Controllers, Wi-Fi 6E wireless adapter, standard light blocker, face gasket and head cushion; Half-Life: Alyx licence. No power supply; Valve sells a 45 W one separately

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