When the main headset of the leading Virtual Reality ecosystem gets an update, everyone pays attention. Meta Quest 3, launched on October 10, improved over its predecessor in almost every way except price. Additionally, Quest 3 was touted to be the first ever mainstream Mixed Reality headset. Let’s look at how each of the improvements affects educational VR experiences, specifically, when using VR in the classroom. This post assumes familiarity with terms such as VR, MR and XR.
Mixed Reality looks promising but currently lacks content
Mixed Reality, also called “color passthrough”, is the key new technology in Quest 3 for content creators. Compared to Quest 2, the image of the real world shown through the cameras of the headset is much crisper and now has color. Although not quite comparable to human eye vision, it is good enough to enable new use cases such as learning to play real musical instruments (PianoVision, Paradiddle) or figure drawing digital models on real paper using pencil (Gesture VR). Most users would encounter Mixed Reality in the “home scene”, which now makes for a much nicer experience due to color passthrough, improved room detection and joint hand and controller tracking, where the user can be interacting with menus and MR apps in her real-world physical space.
Hand tracking is much more useful
A number of software features delivered over the last year have made it more plausible to one day give up controllers altogether for using hands, which is very much a requirement for XR to truly go mainstream. Ability to use hands to interact with menus like with touch screens, simultaneous hand and controller tracking, and overall more responsive and precise hand tracking, especially felt on Quest 3, is a good step towards more inclusive XR devices. Hand tracking feels especially natural when it is combined with Mixed Reality.
Automatic Guardian setup
When putting on a VR headset, setting up the guardian used to often be the annoying first step (made worse by the fact that Quest 2 often seemed to be forgetting room layouts). With depth sensor added to Quest 3, the headset can now detect objects in the room much more accurately, and can automatically suggest a “play area” based on the perceived layout. This is not necessarily helpful in a classroom setting where with multiple users you may want to draw the borders manually, but for an individual use case it is a nice improvement.
Clearer lenses simplify setup
One of the most important but less advertised advances of Quest 3 compared to Quest 2 is the improved clarity of the lenses. With new VR users, there was always a challenge of fitting the headset on correctly, as the person new to VR often does not have an understanding of what a clear image in VR looks like, and might blame the technology for “not being there yet”. With the enhanced lens clarity, users no longer need to adjust the headset so meticulously for a precise fit, making the initial setup that much easier.
No more “spacers” for people with glasses
Quest 2 featured “spacers” to extend lenses from the face for users with glasses. Quest 3 uses significantly thinner “pancake lenses”, which allowed the automatic adjustment mechanic of 4 possible distances from the face to be built into the headset. It still can be considered a little bit finicky, but is a big improvement over the single-sized “spacer”.
Feels lighter due to better weight distribution
Quest 3 is a few grams heavier than Quest 2 but it feels lighter. This has been achieved due to the headset weight being distributed more equally across the head. This is important for VR sessions over 30 minutes and for new users putting on the headset for the first time, as head fatigue can be one of the causes of discomfort when using a VR headset.
Much less fogging
When users sweat while in VR (can happen easily during apps which require significant physical effort), Quest 2 fogged up easily, causing the user to take off the headset, wipe the lenses and cool down. Quest 3 face pads come with built-in vents to prevent lens fogging, which seem to work very well.
Adjusting IPD made easier
Interpupillary distance — better known as IPD — is the spacing between your eyes, and it's important this spacing matches up with the distance between lenses on a VR headset. While Quest 2 had three possible settings for IPD which required you to take the headset off to adjust, Quest 3 includes a handy wheel underside the headset, making adjusting and checking the image clarity quick and easy.
Crisper screen
The screen of Quest 3 is a big improvement over Quest 2. This will likely be felt only by pro users and with graphically high-end apps (usually not what education apps go for) but it makes a difference.
Price
Quest 3 currently costs about $500 and Quest 2 about $250 in the US. Yet an argument can be made for home or school users to choose Quest 3. For home users, the value Quest 3 provides should outweigh the price difference for all but most light users. For schools, in our experience as educational VR software developers and vendors, headsets make up about 30% of the entire cost that schools would be wise to invest when adopting VR (the rest includes educational apps, headset management software, a transport case, and support services). Therefore, saving on headsets only results in a relatively small cost difference. Additionally, opting for Quest 3 ensures future-proofing your fleet of VR headsets for at least another 3 years.
Having highlighted the benefits of Quest 3, let's now explore the best educational apps available on Quest 3, categorized by subject. Our selection criteria for these apps included assessing their overall educational value; utilization of Mixed Reality, hand-tracking and other features that excel on Quest 3; and novelty. You can jump straight to the subjects that interest you following the links below.
Learn Basic Chemistry and Physics through engaging gamified experiences in VR, covering topics such as: Atom Structure, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Salts, Acids & Bases, Reaction Balancing, Moles and Molarity, Electric Circuit and Nuclear Reactions. Co-created with educational experts, the learning value of each VR lesson has been proven with real students in classroom and at home. Subscription service for schools includes an online platform to run VR lessons through a web browser, and access to Lesson Plans and Onboarding Guidelines for teaching in VR.
Prisms launched to schools around the US in 2021 to bring problem-driven, tactile and visual learning to the Math classroom. In Prisms, users gain math skills through: experiencing and solving an important real-world problem, using hands-on models to visualize and interact with structure, connecting 3D experiences to abstract representations like graphs, tables (2D), and equations / vocabulary (1D).
I cannot recommend Prisms enough. Also, now I don't feel guilty about buying that VR headset. It's getting used for more than Beat Saber. #education #educationforthewin". - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tappnell
Neotrie VR enables users to create, manipulate, and interact with 3D geometrical objects and 3D models in general, of several types. It also allows teachers to create VR scenes with activities for their math classes. See Neotrie VR User Guide to get started.
Want to learn programming and develop problem-solving skills in a fun way? Set off on an exciting journey with "Programmer VR," a first-of-a-kind VR game on the Meta Store. Your mission? Help Bob navigate a virtual world, overcome obstacles and improve intelligence level. With each challenge you conquer, you’ll learn programming concepts like Instructions execution order, conditional statements, loops, arrays and much more. Boost your problem-solving skills and logical thinking - all while you play a fun game.
Challenge your mind in Cubism, a deceptively simple puzzle game where you assemble increasingly complex shapes out of colorful blocks. Immerse yourself in a zen environment as you reason your way through 90 puzzles which will put your spatial thinking skills to the test.
Take a trip into orbit and experience life on board the International Space Station! In this Emmy-nominated simulation, learn how to move and work in zero-gravity using your controllers. Dock a space capsule, take a spacewalk, and let real NASA astronauts guide you on the ISS through informative videos and images.
SKYGAZE transforms your home into a magical planetarium, letting you explore the night sky in breath-taking detail. The app features accurate star positions calculated in real time, as well as the visible planets in our solar system.
Discover how big is the universe as you tour through this holographic miniature Solar System, then venture beyond to visit some of the largest known stars.
Awake Heart takes you on an immersive journey through the human heart and lets you discover its most interesting secrets. Interact with the detailed representation of the heart in 3D space and challenge yourself in solving engaging puzzles. Dive beyond the visuals and explore the heart through the lens of anatomy, physiology and electrical activity. Awake Heart is suitable for anyone who wants to learn more about the human heart.
An educational game which combines the 3D puzzles and human anatomy based on detailed and accurate models of human organs, bones or muscles. Compete against time in easy, medium or hard modes to complete: human skeleton bones, human digestive and respiratory system, human top muscles, human skull bones.
After a lab test gone wrong giant ants, a protist and even fungi are taking over the city and it’s on you to use science to your advantage and clean up the whole mess before anyone notices. Scanning and scaling your way through the environment over the course of 4 missions, you’ll learn about the different rules that apply to each realm - molecular, bacterial, insect, human, and mountain.
Discover two of the most iconic locations on the planet. Head to Antarctica and set off on a thrilling expedition of discovery. Navigate around icebergs in a kayak, climb a massive ice shelf and survive a raging snowstorm as you search for a lost emperor penguin colony. Visit Machu Picchu, Peru and get immersed in amazing digital reconstructions of the ancient Inca citadel. Witness mummy worship, raise a cup of sacred chicha and encounter alpacas as you match Hiram Bingham’s photographs from when he rediscovered the Inca citadel.
Dive into Wooorld, a one-of-a-kind social platform bringing a 3D map of the world into your room in Mixed Reality. It’s the best way to explore the world and play games together.
Teleport almost anywhere in the world - whether you wish to walk across the London Bridge, stroll the gardens of the Taj Mahal, or witness the enormity of the Great Pyramids of Egypt - unlimited exploration awaits. This app uses data from Google StreetView.
‘ecosphere’ is an award winning social impact documentary platform created by PHORIA. Venture into the wildest places on earth, where indigenous and community-led efforts are creating space for humanity and wildlife to thrive together. Season 1: Produced in partnership with WWF, Silverback Films Ltd and Meta: Kenya, Borneo, Raja Ampat. Season 2: Produced in partnership with United Nations DPPA, Media Farm Studios and Meta: Sea of Islands, Pathways Colombia, Musalem (Coming Soon).
Explore a vivid underwater world full of life including dolphins, sharks, turtles, sea snakes, rays, whales, manatees, sea lions and even prehistoric animals! You are free to swim around each of the 14 habitats. Activate the education mode to learn more about the animals you come across. There are over 40 fully narrated information points to find.
Travel to some of the world's most amazing natural wonders in fully immersive 3D to feel like you're really there! Step into a postcard with BRINK Traveler and visit some of the most breathtaking places on Earth today! 44 incredible spots to see across 28 locations. Virtual guide & assistant to learn about locations. Travel solo or with friends & family multiplayer.
Be amazed by what you can create in this hands-on experience with unlimited supplies of paint, canvases, and all the tools you need. Play around and feel the satisfaction of putting that first paint stroke on a blank canvas. Learn the basics of colors, the painting process, and composition. Sharpen your skills by experimenting with the tools and techniques at hand. Then display your paintings on the walls and invite your friends to enjoy your exhibition.
Gesture VR is a drawing app with an emphasis on figure drawing. Draw in 2D or 3D from over 30 high-quality models (more to come!) and get complete control of the lights, timers, and poses. Practice alone or group up with friends!
Create amazing street art with VR. Up to 4 simultaneous players collaborating at once. Use true to life Ironlak Aerosol colours to design and develop skills and bring your concepts closer to reality. Feel immersed in 12 realistic environments including a trainyard, Alleyway, dusky city rooftop, and an abandoned subway station.
Create sprawling, brilliant worlds and explore them with your friends! Invite your friends to an online game, then race to the finish with hang-gliders, or switch to climbing mode. Great for designing natural objects for 3d printing. The massive zoom is great, the controls are simple, and there’s a very short learning curve to get started. It’s easy to make great looking structures, they don’t have to look cartoony.
Go through all the stages of creating ceramics. Choose the color of the clay. Shape it on the potter's wheel with your own hands. Add the necessary elements, burn and decorate like a real artisan, choose a variety of colors or use ready-made color palettes. Give them a unique style and character. You can refer to classic art patterns or create individual projects yourself.
In Color Space you don’t just color in a scene — you color inside a scene. Equipped with a palette and a coloring wand, you’re transported into any of 26 beautiful black-and-white worlds.
History Of A Painting - Ep 1 "What's the point?" - Ep 2 "The light in the Shadow"
Hi)story of a Painting is an animated VR and 360 series aimed at engaging young audiences with art by creating accessible and relatable experiences focused on the human stories behind some of the world’s most iconic art. This first episode focuses on Georges Seurat and his iconic painting "La Grande Jatte" - it dives into the story behind the painting, uncovering the artist's journey from underdog to icon. This second episode, “The Light in the Shadow”, explores the extraordinary story of one of today’s most celebrated Baroque artists: Artemisia Gentileschi. We follow her extraordinary journey as she navigates a time and world where women have virtually no rights and are essentially men’s property, and becomes one of Europe’s most celebrated and in-demand painters of her time.
Chauvet Cave, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is considered one the greatest scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century. Our humanity’s first masterpiece was created 36, 000 years ago in Ardèche, France. Within Chauvet Cave lies thousands of drawings, enclosed forever. The Dawn of Art is a Virtual Reality experience, including both an immersive film and a virtual visit of the cave that invites you to meet your prehistoric ancestors, the first humans who ventured in a deep subterranean world and left their marks preserved on the walls.
In ShapesXR anybody can start creating in 3D without prior experience within minutes. You can design and prototype your immersive app, invite others to co-create in real-time, or present your ideas using ShapesXR storyboard feature. You can also share your creation with anybody without a VR headset via Web, the Unity plugin or just a picture for your 2D deck.
A powerful yet intuitive creation tool - express 3D ideas in real-time at any scale. Create loose free form sketches, detailed models, expansive scenes, and artwork unrestricted. To enable the full Gravity Sketch experience, sign up for a free landingpad.me account. LandingPad is the cloud platform allowing to upload reference images and models, download exports and screenshots, and view your 3D files, all through a web browser.
Quest Store | Pico Store (coming soon) | Free, Subscription
Arkio
Hand Tracking, Mixed Reality
Design interiors, buildings, virtual spaces. Try new design ideas and collaborate with others using VR, desktop and mobile to make better design decisions faster. With room import and passthrough you can design, mix and share realities like never before. Place virtual furniture in your living room, sketch an extension on your home, carve a virtual window into a wall or remove entire walls! View 3D models as scale models or experience them at true scale in the real world.
Zoe enables the rapid creation of interactive 3D scenes through a no-code interface and automation. Invite your friends, students, colleagues and clients to collaborate, learn and create together in real-time. The free version includes templates, creator tools and multiplayer capabilities for up to 3 members.
StellarX is a no-code platform that allows anyone to create interactive environments. Enjoy real-time multi-user collaboration in play mode between various devices, including any PC VR headset, desktop computers and Meta Quest standalone headsets.
It’s been sixty years since Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, but the messages from that speech resonate today. “MLK: Now is the Time” is an immersive journey that explores key themes of Dr. King's speech and highlights systemic inequities that persist in our society. Through first-person stories and interactions, “MLK: Now is the Time” drops you into a thoroughly modern interpretation of a contemporary March on Washington that will inform and inspire a new generation of activists.
Build your vocab and speak without fear! Play in a virtual world or in your own home with new mixed reality mode. Noun Town removes the grind from learning a language. In Noun Town your learning directly impacts the game environment, turning the island into color and unlocking new characters and gameplay modes.
Discover a transformative language learning experience with Immerse, a platform designed to fast-track your conversational fluency in Spanish, French, or English 4x faster in VR. Immerse stands out by offering unlimited access to a unique global community of adult VR learners and a range of features crafted by experts to provide a holistic, authentic, and fully-immersive language learning experience.
Mondly VR uniquely complements Mondly's mobile language learning app, enabling you to refine your speaking skills. You'll get instant feedback on your pronunciation, suggestions that enrich your vocabulary, and surprises that transform language practice with Mondly VR into a one-of-a-kind experience. Join our lifelike characters in a fully immersive language journey! Supports 30 languages.
So much more than a VR drum kit. Learn to drum with step by step lessons, flex your skills with the built-in rhythm game, and build your own custom kit from a library of 60+ percussive instruments without the limitations of money or physical space. Fun, intuitive drumming for pros and newcomers alike!
Become a PianoVisionary with the world's premiere VR Music Teacher. PianoVision accelerates your piano learning using Mixed Reality and hand tracking. Connect a MIDI keyboard or play on a flat surface with the Virtual Piano!
Become a DJ! Learn to DJ on official Pioneer DJ equipment. Join the daily workshops. Connect with our community. Level up your skills. Perform to the world.
Grab an instrument and get ready to jam in Virtuoso, your own virtual music stage! This VR musical sandbox lets anyone play and perform music in new, immersive ways. Explore a range of unique instruments made for VR and share your tracks with the world!
Transform your living room into a musical playground and unleash your creativity in the unlimited musicverse of PatchWorld. Join an underwater reggae jam, blast some hard techno, or make polyrhythms out of rainfall. Explore an ever-expanding library of tools, toys, and instruments you can use to make your own music in VR. PatchWorld is also a mixed reality studio where your creations come to life, perfect for sharing on social media.
Beat Saber is a unique VR rhythm game where your goal is to slash the beats (represented by small cubes) as they are coming at you. Every beat indicates which saber you need to use and also the direction you need to match. All the music is composed to perfectly fit the handmade levels. Our goal is to make players almost dance while cutting the cubes and avoiding obstacles. Each cut is strongly supported by great sound and visual effects to emphasize the rhythm.
Work out at home with a premium fitness app. LES MILLS, the world's leading fitness company, brings the BODYCOMBAT experience to your VR headset with an extensive workout portfolio, top-quality coaching, innovative mechanics, and different intensities. Transform your home into a virtual training room! MR update brings you an innovative and comfortable way to enjoy your workout sessions.
OhShape is a rhythm game offering a unique way of moving your whole body. Dodge obstacles, punch walls, and make fun poses to get through each map. Play with the coins and be the star of your own show! Includes the new MR mode: transform your own room in your dance floor.
The Thrill of the Fight is a down-to-earth VR boxing game focused on authenticity. Enter a virtual gym and battle a series of unique challengers with their own styles and techniques. Use timing and skill to land the knockout blow. Evade swings, land jabs, and block punches to become the king of the ring!
The Meta Quest 3, coupled with its extensive library of educational VR games, has ushered in a new era of immersive learning experiences. By harnessing the power of VR, educators now have the ability to transport their students to captivating virtual worlds that transcend the limitations of traditional classroom settings. These games not only entertain but also educate, making learning engaging, interactive, and memorable.
In this blog post, we have explored a diverse selection of top Meta Quest 3 VR games across various school subjects. From science to history, mathematics to language arts, each game offers a unique blend of interactive gameplay, captivating storytelling, and educational content that enhances students' understanding and sparks their curiosity.
By integrating these VR games into your classrooms, you can empower students to take an active role in their learning journey. Through immersive experiences, they can explore complex concepts, interact with virtual objects, collaborate with peers, and even make mistakes without real-world consequences. This fosters a deeper level of engagement, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that are invaluable in preparing students for the challenges of the future.
The list is managed and updated by Märt from Futuclass. If you’d like to propose additions/corrections then write -> [email protected].