HTC Vive XR Elite VR headset
Chipset
Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2
Storage
128GB
RAM
12GB
Display resolution
1920 x 1920 per-eye
Battery Life
Not reported, comes with a hot-swappable 26.6Wh Battery
Weight
1.37lbs/0.62kg
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CHECK PRICEHTC Vive XR Elite vs Meta Quest Pro. Which is the best next-gen VR headset?
Today, we’re going to be comparing the HTC Vive XR Elite vs Meta Quest Pro. This comes at a most opportune moment too, as until CES 2023, the Meta Quest Pro didn’t have any direct competitors.
This finally changed when HTC unveiled the Vive XR Elite, which was thankfully not called the Flowcus as we feared it would be.
NOW READ: Vive XR pre order & where to buy
So, which next-gen VR headset is worth your purchase? Vive XR Elite vs Meta Quest Pro: FIGHT.
Chipset
Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2
Storage
128GB
RAM
12GB
Display resolution
1920 x 1920 per-eye
Battery Life
Not reported, comes with a hot-swappable 26.6Wh Battery
Weight
1.37lbs/0.62kg
Shop on Amazon
CHECK PRICEChipset
Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+
Storage
256GB
RAM
12GB
Display resolution
1832 x 1920 per-eye
Battery Life
1-2 hours
Weight
1.59lbs/0.72kg
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CHECK PRICEAs you can see, the specs of these two headsets are almost identical, with only marginal differences, at least on the surface.
However, the most immediate, and perhaps most important difference when it comes to HTC Vive XR Elite vs Meta Quest Pro is the price.
At time of writing, the Meta Quest Pro costs $1,499/£1,499/€1,799, which is a full $400 more than the HTC Vive XR Elite, which is priced at $1,099/£1,299/€1,449.
But what do you get for that extra $400, or more importantly, what features did the Vive XR Elite eschew in order to cost almost 1/3 less than the Quest Pro?
OK, let’s make a direct comparison of the HTC Vive XR Elite vs Meta Quest Pro concerning specs, and specs alone.
We’ll start with the chipset/processor, the Meta Quest Pro made a big song and dance about its Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+, and yes, the Viv XR elite only has the previous Snapdragon XR2, but how different are they?
Well, according to roadtovr.com, the XR2+ variant is around 30% more effective at dissipating heat and can output 50% more sustained power than the non ‘+’ version.
‘50% more sustained power’ is a pretty vague statement, but from what we’ve seen, it’s pretty significant, but does that alone justify the extra $400?
Well, the Meta Quest Pro also has twice the storage, being able to hold 256GB of games, double that of the 128GB Vive XR Elite. Both headsets have the same amount of RAM at 12GB, however.
The resolution per eye is very close too, with both having a 1920-pixel vertical resolution, though, the Meta Quest Pro has a larger horizontal resolution with 1832 pixels. This provides additional peripheral vision, which is no bad thing.
Interestingly, the reported weight of the Vive XR Elite is exactly 100g less than the Quest Pro and that’s a pretty big difference, however, we can’t be sure until we actually get our hands on both of them for testing purposes.
Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot more direct comparisons we can make as we haven’t got our hands on these headsets just yet.
For now, though, we’re erring on the side of the HTC Vive XR Elite as the difference in price is immense, and as far as we can see, it’s a better value proposition overall.
Additionally, those of you with privacy concerns might prefer the Vive XR Elite as it’s not so inexorably tied to Mark Zuckerberg’s virtual hellscape Metaverse.
The Vive XR Elite can be pre-ordered for $1,099/£1,299/€1,449.
The Meta Quest Pro is priced at $1499/£1499/€1799.
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