I tried using a VR headset to replace my TV - here's how it went

I've spent some time testing the TV replacement idea with my Meta Quest 2. While the experience with a Quest 3, Galaxy XR, or Apple Vision Pro would undoubtedly be better, the general state of mixed reality video means it may be a while before couples are regularly popping glasses on to share a movie together.

The advantages and disadvantages of mixed reality

Bringing the theater home

Undoubtedly, the best thing about watching video in a mixed reality headset is the ability to project images on an enormous display, larger than any TV I could possibly afford. It's all an illusion of course -- but even the resolution on a Quest 2 is good enough to simulate a theater-sized screen. If you haven't tried VR before, it's hard to overstate how effective it is at fooling your brain, especially when you're dropped into a virtual theater or -- as in the case of the Quest 3, Vision Pro, or Galaxy XR -- you can project a screen directly into your real-world environment.

Those real-world (AR) projections are likely the future of the medium. As nice as it is to watch Alien or The Empire Strikes Back in a VR theater in space, as I did, the conditions are rarely right for locking yourself into a pure VR environment. Because you're in your own little world, it's difficult to drink soda or eat popcorn, much less notice that your partner's walked in to talk to you. I did share a rented Bigscreen movie with my wife at one point, since she has a Quest of her own, but only being able to see and hear each other as cartoonish avatars was obviously less than ideal.

One unexpected perk of a headset is the audio experience. While cinephiles will naturally want to pair dedicated headphones to match the bass from their soundbar or woofer, even the integrated speakers on the Quest 2 can be immersive enough for casual video sessions. Certainly it feels ike overkill to slap on expensive Apple or Sony headphones to watch a few YouTube videos. I'm hoping that Apple, Meta, and others can solve two problems with integrated speakers: bass response, and minimizing sound leakage, since it can be a little embarrassing knowing others might hear what you're watching.

For some people, app selection is going to be the serious drawback here. While Meta Horizon OS, Android XR, and visionOS all have apps that let you stream video from your computer or online services, you can't necessarily count on a headset having all the apps you're used to on your TV. Your best bet is probably an Android XR device, at the moment -- even Apple's $3,500 Vision Pro doesn't have native versions of Netflix or YouTube. And when an app is available in mixed reality, developers sometimes treat that version as disposable, which creates something of a Catch-22. Users are going to bail if a headset experience feels subpar, but because of those retention problems, developers steer resources back into their existing phone, tablet, and TV apps.

My own biggest gripe is the physical convenience of current devices. I actually don't mind wearing current headsets for an hour or two at a time, and I don't get motion sick. Yet simply having to slip on something that bulky can feel like too much friction versus just sitting down in front of a TV, especially since I have to make sure everything is charged and updated. The Vision Pro and Galaxy XR require tethered battery packs, I should note, and there's no headset that can last the entirety of a Lord of the Rings movie without being plugged into a wall. At the end of an exhausting day of writing, I'm going to gravitate towards the 65-inch TV in my living room instead of my Quest, particularly if there's a chance my wife and son might join me.

Why AR might still replace my TV

While app development may be lagging behind, advancements in technology and the success of Meta's collaborations with Ray-Ban and Oakley are leading tech giants to think there might a future in a new direction: AR glasses. Indeed the rumor is that while Apple was originally going to focus on a lighter, cheaper edition of the Vision Pro, it's now throwing its weight behind AR glasses so it doesn't have its lunch eaten by companies like Meta, or XREAL, which just recently announced a pair of Android XR-equipped glasses that should ship in 2026.

The current generation of AR glasses is very limited, of course. They don't last long on a charge, and the Ray-Ban Display is restricted to a handful of Meta apps that show in a tiny portion of your field of view, with no video apart from calls and recording. Yet if chip, battery, and display technology continues evolving at its current pace, it could be just a couple of years until we have a lightweight, well-supported pair of glasses that I'd be glad to slap on after work, if not several times a day. That may still require a battery pack -- but I think people will be more accepting of that idea if they can at least occasionally untether, and the glasses feel as easy to pick up and use as a phone. Controller-free hand gestures are a big aid in that department.

In terms of replacing TVs, the toughest nut to crack will be the social aspect. Although the tech already exists to stream a movie in a shared AR space, we're long ways away from a world in which you can not only assume everyone has a pair of AR glasses with them, but that they'll be able to sync video cross-platform. There's nothing I'd love more than to be able to recreate the watch parties my wife and I used to enjoy in the 2010s. Since companies like Apple, Google, HBO, and Netflix are focused on their own private fiefdoms, however, it's more likely I'm going to be keeping a TV in my living room for another decade.