As someone who's been playing games for over 20 years, from cheeky GTA San Andreas sessions to running like a coward in Halo, I've had my fair share of consoles. Xboxes, PlayStations, mobile phones - I've probably spent tens of thousands on various platforms and games for them. However, one remains a personal favorite of mine - the Meta Quest 3. As the best VR headset on the market, it's a truly immersive gaming experience that few flatscreen consoles or handsets could replicate, and if you want to finally give it a try, you could be the proud owner of a Quest 3 for just $1.
The powerful Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset powers the Meta Quest 3, delivering an impressive 2064 x 2208 resolution per eye, sitting at a smooth 120Hz refresh rate - that's exceptional, because the higher the refresh rate, the less jittery it is, and the more stutters will make motion sickness more apparent. As a standalone VR headset, the Meta Quest 3 has plenty of excellent exclusives, ranging from Batman: Arkham Shadow to Asgard's Wrath 2, and you can still use it as an entertainment device or connect to your gaming PC for some SteamVR titles.
While the two aforementioned exclusives are some pretty intense games, and ones I wouldn't recommend as your first VR experiences as you gain your 'VR legs,' they are excellent. There's no shortage of party games like VRChat, Gorilla Tag, Rec Room, and more to try, many of which are slower-paced and allow you to get into virtual reality quickly, without getting too motion sick. After some time, you'll be able to enjoy games like Behemoth, swinging your sword around freely like you're in another world entirely.
You only have to look at my other VR news pieces to see how much I adore the niche platform, and while most people jumped off post-COVID following the Quest 2, Meta has only made its hardware even better with its successor. The difference in comfort, performance, and entertainment in the Meta Quest 3 is a huge step forward, and if you haven't given it a thought yet, I'd seriously recommend one. Luckily for you, you might not need to shell out hundreds of dollars for a shot at one.
Right now, you can grab the Mystery Star Bundle for just $1 / £1 per star at Fanatical. Each star is a Steam key, granting you a random game from classic triple-As to underrated indie gems, and the more you buy, the cheaper it gets. However, you'll also be in with a chance to score a Meta Quest 3, a Steam Deck, or some Shooter Stars - packages containing an array of over $1000 worth of games. Of course, it's not a guarantee you'll get a Meta Quest 3 for under 1% of the price, but you're not losing out either.
Hopefully, I'll see you on the Beat Saber leaderboards in no time. You'll probably beat me, too - I said I loved VR games, not that I'm any good at them. I'd also recommend giving Vampire Survivors or Demeo a go, as they're not intense and they're some great fun in virtual reality.