On first glance, the Quest 3’s controllers look a little like the ones that come with the Quest Pro — basically they lack a tracking ring. Look a little closer though, and they’re actually pretty different. It’s a step backwards in some ways, but that can sometimes turn out for the best.
To start with, the tracking isn’t camera-based and inside out. This means the controllers will either need to be within sight of your headset to track accurately. The headset will be getting upper body tracking in a future update, which should improve accuracy when you move your hands behind your back or somewhere else beyond the Quest 3’s gaze. For now, the headset does an okay job of filling in the gaps, but will lose tracking every now and then. Overall though, the tracking seems better and more responsive than its more expensive “Pro” counterparts.
Where the Pro controllers do have the edge is in the “feel” department. They’re heftier and have a nicer texture than those of the Quest 3. You may think the Pro’s rechargability aspect is a plus, but it really isn’t. All that means is the controllers need to be docked between sessions, and when the battery is dead you’ll have some time to kill before they can be used again. The Quest 3 controllers are battery-powered, and you can get them going again instantly — provided you have a pair of AA’s handy. If you want rechargeability, a set of rechargeable batteries isn’t too expensive.
