Head(sets) up, Readers. Due to a snafu with Meta's servers during the Quest 3 review window and a last minute embargo change, I've only been able to spend around five to six hours with the unit so far. This means the impressions below are based on those first few hours, rather than an extended play test with multiple titles. As you'll soon see, my initial thoughts are very positive but please bear in mind there is a chance I'll have missed some underlying issues that will only arise from longer sessions.
One of the first things you'll notice about the Quest 3, if you're upgrading from a Quest 2, is its size. The new headset is 40 percent slimmer than the Quest 2 and this means that, when worn, the Quest 3 eliminates one of my biggest bugbears of its predecessor - the downward drag on your face. Before I started using a replacement head strap (the excellent BOBOVR M2 Pro) I found the Quest 2 so uncomfortable to wear for extended periods that I avoided using it whenever I could. Even with the basic material strap that's included with the Quest 3 however, the difference in comfort between the pair is huge. The smaller size means it's better balanced on your face and because of this the headset doesn't slip when you pull off exaggerated physical movements like limboing under bullets in Pistol Whip.
While the front of the Quest 3 is slimmer than the Quest 2, the facial interface is larger and this can even be extended slightly with a quick press of a small catch inside. This meaning that glasses wearers will be able to use the headset from the off without having to buy extra spacers. In terms of the facial interface, the material used in the basic package is nice and comfortable as well, but you can pay extra (£39.99) for a replacement silicone one if you'd prefer. The basic facial interface also does a pretty good job of eliminating light leakage. I did notice a small bit of light shining through from a small gap between the facial interface and the side of my head when I purposefully stood with bright sunlight behind me however, and this effect increased in moments of gameplay featuring darker scenes. This was nowhere near as bad as the light leakage that I experienced with the Pico 4 headset though and it should hopefully be a rarity for those using the headset under normally lit circumstances.