Quick Take: Zenni Optical Lenses for Meta Quest 3

Meta Quest 3 with Zenni Optical lens inserts

According to a Google search I just did, 63.7% of Americans wear prescription glasses. According to my optometrist, I wear prescription glasses 100% of the time if I want to see. Unfortunately, it is somewhere between difficult and impossible to use AR glasses and VR headsets with existing glasses.

Some AR glasses come with templates or holders to give your optician for custom lenses, but when I showed the one from Lenovo's Legion Glasses to my optician, she looked at it and just said, "no."

One exception is Apple's upcoming $3500+ Apple Vision Pro, which will have optional custom-fit Zeiss lenses available as part of the purchase process. Apple even had a quick test and lenses available for me when I tested the headset earlier this year.

Another exception - at a much lower price point - is now the $500+ Meta Quest 3. I've been testing the Quest 3 and the resolution and power (thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor) are significantly better. I can also mostly fit my glasses inside - an improvement from the Quest 2 -- but comfort with the glasses and headset is not good. However, Zenni Optical now makes custom prescription lens inserts for the Quest 3. For $50.

I bought a pair; here are the pros and cons after some brief testing:

Pros:

  • Just $50!

  • Incredibly simple to order, and fast shipping (arrived within a week during Christmas season)

  • Comes with a case, which is essential to keep the lenses scratch-free if you share the headset with others users

  • Makes using the Quest appropriately 4000% more comfortable vs glasses.

Cons:

  • There’s a tiny bit of distortion around the edges

  • The lenses aren’t quite as secure as I’d like inside the headset

  • Having prescription lenses reduces eystrain, but doesn’t make first-person-perspective games less nausea-inducing for those who are susceptible

  • Doesn’t make me better at Beat Saber.

Highly recommended. I wish I could Zenni up lenses for every pair of AR glasses and VR headset I test.

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AR/VRAvi Greengart