3 Best Apple Vision Pro Alternatives for Spatial Computing

Unless you’re living under a rock, we’re pretty sure you’ve seen the spatial computing abilities of the Apple Vision Pro. The headset essentially projects a floating display in front of your eyes so you can watch movies, browse the web, or run any app of your choice on a massive virtual display. But, to enjoy all of this, you’ll need to shell out $3,500. Unless of course, you decide to take a different route and pick up any of the best Apple Vision Pro alternatives from the list below.

While the products mentioned below may not necessarily replicate the exact experience with the Vision Pro, they’ll help you experience Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality. You can perform more or less the same set of tasks like browsing the web, watching videos, and getting work done.

Most importantly, even the most expensive product on this list is priced seven times lower than the Vision Pro. So, if you want to dip your toes in the world of AR/MR, these gadgets are a great entry point. But before we get to them –

• If a large floating display to enjoy content is all you want, a pair of AR Glasses will fulfill your needs.
• Want to experience immersive gaming? A standalone VR headset is the way to go.
• Zeroed in on the Quest 3? Pair it with some cool Meta Quest 3 accessories for the best experience.

1. XREAL Air 2

The XREAL Air 2 is essentially a large portable monitor that sits in front of your eyes. Simply connect the AR glasses to your computer using the bundled USB-C cable and you can project everything on the screen right in front of your eyes. It’s like having a mini theatre in your pocket.

Once connected, you can play your favorite shows, movies, or games on the XREAL Air 2. By default, the glasses are translucent so you can continue to see the real world even with the display in front of your eyes. However, XREAL does provide an attachment in the box to black out the background for complete immersion.

Notably, the XREAL Air 2 doesn’t have eye tracking, hand tracking, or any such fancy features from the Vision Pro. So, you’ll have to perform all actions on the connected device i.e. either your computer or smartphone. The best use case for the XREAL Air 2 is when you’re flying. Connect the glasses to your phone and watch Netflix on a huge screen exclusive to your eyes. In fact, the awesome virtual triple-monitor feature lets you multi-task with ease when you pair the glasses with your Mac.

A big advantage compared to the Apple Vision Pro is how small and compact the XREAL Air 2 is. It’s lightweight and feels like you’re wearing a pair of sunglasses as opposed to the heavy and bulky Vision Pro. It’s also a lot more affordable — even though it needs to be connected to another device to work. If you want to experience AR on a budget, the XREAL Air 2 is a fantastic option.

2. Meta Quest 3

The Meta Quest 3 is primarily a VR gaming device with MR capabilities. Owing to this, there’s a large library of amazing VR games that you can’t find on the Apple Vision Pro. If you plan on gaming with true-to-life graphics and real-world movements, the Meta Quest 3 should be your default option.

That doesn’t mean non-gamers shouldn’t opt for the Quest 3. When you’re not gaming in VR, the cameras and sensors on the front of the headset allow for a pass-through mode similar to the Vision Pro. What this means is you can see the real world through the headset while you enjoy projections of virtual displays in front of your eyes.

These displays do exactly what the Vision Pro does. You can watch videos, browse the web, or get work done. While the insane eye-tracking features aren’t present on the Meta Quest 3, hand tracking is still there so you can leave the controllers aside and use your fingers to select items and move them around.

For a price seven times less than the Apple Vision Pro, the Meta Quest 3 delivers a similar number of features — and insane gaming capabilities making it an amazing value proposition. It’s not as polished as Apple’s headset in some areas like software, but that alone doesn’t justify the exorbitant price tag of the Vision Pro. If you’re in the market for a VR/AR/MR headset, the Meta Quest 3 should be your default option.

3. Pico 4

Just like the Quest 3, you can use the Pico 4 to get work done in virtual reality. However, the pass-through mode isn’t as good as the one on the Quest 3 due to inferior cameras on the outside. This shouldn’t be an issue if you’re a touch typist and you only plan on using the virtual display inside the headset.

What’s also similar to the Quest headset is the fact that you get dedicated controllers for gaming. Notably, the Pico 4 is more compact and sleeker than the Quest 3 while having a design on the front that’s similar to the Apple Vision Pro. So, for long hours of usage, the Pico 4 might feel more comfortable than the Meta Quest 3.

One of the biggest downsides of the Pico 4 is that the software and selection of apps aren’t as good as the Meta Quest 3. If you only plan on using the headset for content consumption and work though, this shouldn’t matter to you. For a price that’s uncomfortably close to the Meta Quest 3 offering better hardware and software, the Pico 4 is only recommended for those who don’t want to use Meta’s service or want a lighter and sleeker headset.

Vision Pro on a Budget

While the Apple Vision Pro surely seems futuristic with many sophisticated cameras and sensors, the asking price is a huge barrier to entering the world of AR/MR. If you don’t have any prior experience with the tech and want to try something more affordable before splurging on the big boy, any of the best Apple Vision Pro alternatives from the list above should give you a rough idea of what to expect.