In a surprising move, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, took to Instagram to share his opinion on Apple's new mixed-reality headset, the Vision Pro. In a video review, Zuckerberg boldly claimed that Meta's Quest 3 headset is not only the better value but also the better product overall. This move highlights the intensifying competition between Apple and Meta as they both strive to convince consumers of the benefits of mixed-reality headsets.

While Meta has taken a lower-cost approach with their Quest 3 headset, Apple has focused on incorporating sharper screens, more powerful processors, and higher-end materials into their Vision Pro. Zuckerberg's video, posted on Tuesday, highlighted several areas where he believes the Quest 3 outperforms the Vision Pro. He praised the Quest 3 for being more comfortable, having a deeper immersive content library, a wider field of view, more accurate hand tracking, and a brighter screen. However, he acknowledged that the Vision Pro's screen boasts a higher resolution and its eye tracking feature is "really nice."

Apple officially launched the Vision Pro on February 2nd, marking the company's first new product category since the Apple Watch in 2015. During the launch event in New York, Apple CEO Tim Cook described the headset as "tomorrow's technology today." On the other hand, Meta introduced its Quest 3 headset in September, with shipments starting the following month. The Quest 3 starts at $500, which is $200 more expensive than Meta's previous headset. One of the defining features of Meta's new headset is its “passthrough” mode, allowing users to quickly see the real world outside the headset. Apple's headset offers a similar functionality.

Zuckerberg's video review aimed to challenge the assumption that the Vision Pro would be of higher quality simply because it is an Apple product and costs $3,000 more. He expressed his surprise at the Quest 3 being superior for the majority of use cases, considering the significant price difference. He also addressed the criticism from Apple “fanboys” who believe Apple will dominate in any new category, asserting that Meta's open model for its headsets will ultimately prevail.

Apple has yet to respond to CNBC's request for comment on Zuckerberg's video review. The rivalry between Meta and Apple extends beyond the headset race, with both companies envisioning mixed reality as the future of computing. While Meta sees the potential for users to spend extended periods in a digital world called the "metaverse," Apple expects their headset to enhance users' real-world experiences, much like the iPhone has done for the past two decades. Despite Meta's significant investment in the metaverse, it has gained little traction, and the company has shifted its focus to artificial intelligence.

Although the Quest 3 and Vision Pro may not currently appeal to the average consumer due to their size, clunkiness, and limited use cases, being viewed as a leader in the mixed-reality space is crucial for both Meta and Apple. This ongoing rivalry between the two tech giants continues to shape the future of mixed reality and pushes them to innovate further.