How long does the Quest 3 battery last?

As the name implies, the Meta Quest 3 is the third-generation standalone VR headset from Meta. This VR console represents the best of VR in one headset, but that experience doesn't last as long as some people would probably like.

In our testing, a single charge lasts about two hours before the headset needs to be topped up again. Unfortunately, it takes about one hour and 45 minutes to charge the headset from 0% to 100% using the included charging brick, which means you won't be getting back into the game any time soon should you completely drain the battery while playing.

For most people, however, this may not be a problem. Virtual reality is a much more physical way to play games than traditional gaming consoles or a PC, and as such, two hours of VR gaming might be enough for most people to call it quits.

But what if you're playing with a group of people and want to pass the headset around for longer play? Thankfully, there are options to extend battery life.

Meta makes an Elite Strap with Battery — pictured above — that will double your battery life so you can play in VR for up to four hours before needing to charge up again.

As we saw with the best Quest 2 head straps, Meta's first-party Elite Strap is expensive and features a battery that cannot be removed. We expect several third-party companies to start offering better head strap options with batteries in the near future, but until then, Meta's official Elite Strap with Battery is the only easy way to get better battery life out of your Meta Quest 3.

For now, the best Meta Quest battery packs could offer a decent alternative to a proper battery-packed head strap. Some options let you strap a USB power bank to the headset or wear a battery like a necklace. Otherwise, you can always just stick a USB power bank in your pocket and plug a long USB-C cable into your Quest 3 to keep it juiced up during play.