Motivated by a desire to simplify my college experience, I thought I had found a solution to reduce the cohort of devices I lugged around campus into one all-encompassing tool: a VR headset.
Overwhelmed by paper notes, iPads and laptop lecture files, I hoped to rely on a single device that would rule them all.
I decided to go all-in on VR.
I was excited to begin the two-week experiment that I was sure would simplify my life. It seemed like a sound concept: no more tangled cables at the bottom of my messenger bag, fewer distractions and a portable — yet powerful — device to bring order to chaos.
As I pored over specifications and feature reviews on YouTube, the Meta Quest 3 Virtual Reality headset seemed to fit the bill.
It sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? Fully integrated with social media platforms, an intuitive user interface, and a pass-through mode that lets you see your surroundings — “the future has arrived,” I thought.
I boldly took a chance on virtual reality, but after only two weeks of lectures, it’s obvious: Meta’s VR headset is not ready to take over—yet.
The good news was that the web browser gave me access to most web-based services. The virtual displays were also expandable to fully encompass my field of vision, which meant floor-to-ceiling screens, a childhood dream.
Advanced tracking allows the use of hands as controllers, but be warned, you’ll look like you’re conducting an orchestra. What’s great about this feature is that it requires no additional setup.
The immersive environments can transport you from the deck of a spacefaring ship to a lush green forest, which is surprisingly relaxing.
Seemingly every app has a “share to social media” function which makes it easy to share photos, links and videos. It is also easy to socialize in virtual spaces like a cafe, church cathedral, yacht, tropical island, or McDonalds. This is where VR could potentially shine; virtual office hours, study groups or hangout sessions with classmates could enhance the student experience.
Disappointingly, trying to use VR to organize lecture notes and reply to emails was challenging and it never felt natural.
The disconnect between what VR can do theoretically and what it can do in everyday situations was a recurring theme.
On day one, I became increasingly frustrated when Citrus College’s Wi-Fi refused to connect to my device. I resorted to using a mobile hotspot, but the signal was unreliable and the whole process was more trouble than it was worth.
Citrus College tech-support was not able to help me with this connection problem, though they did reply to my request for help, eventually.
Leaving my heavy laptop and cumbersome paperwork behind was a relief. I could move freely, and I appreciated the minimalist approach.
The pass-through mode is a feature in the Meta Quest that uses the cameras on the front and sides of the headset to virtually project the immediate surroundings to the user. It was great for avoiding desks and other people while in VR, it felt like science fiction made reality.
I hit a roadblock when I realized, to my horror, that many of my favorite apps were unavailable — including iCloud, Google Drive, OneNote, Microsoft Office, Photoshop, Lightroom or Google Keep. To be fair, some of these services are available through the browser, but it was limited and unreliable.
The floating virtual keyboard was also painfully slow and awkward to use.
Reading paper while wearing the headset presented its own hurdles: from textbooks to handouts, any text smaller than 14-point font required me to take off the headset. Since all of my professors still use paper, this was an issue.
There were some problems that were harder to ignore because of how annoying they were. For instance, because I couldn’t view my phone or tablet screens in VR, receiving messages or notifications via iOS was out of the question.
Watching lecture videos drained the battery quickly and caused the device to overheat–not a great situation when it’s attached to your face. And with only a single USB-C port, I couldn’t charge the headset and plug in a USB device at the same time.
After some research, I found workarounds that made the headset more usable and practical. I purchased a large external battery that bumped me up to five hours of uninterrupted use. I also purchased a USB-C hub, expanding the total available ports to four. To secure the hub, I used duct tape to mount the small box on the headset, adding a dystopian, cyberpunk aesthetic that drew some puzzled looks.
The key to usability was finding a workaround for the Quest’s Android app restrictions: sideloading. The Aurora store, an unofficial Google Play alternative, allows the installation of android package kits.
The process of modding the Meta Quest 3 was complicated.
It required a laptop and a service called SideQuest, used for modifying VR headsets. Furthermore, many apps requiring Google Services simply didn’t work. But with some persistence, I managed to install the cloud-based note-taking app, Notion.
A week into this VR experiment I was finally able to take notes in class and sync them to my laptop and iPhone. To be fair, it was not without the occasional glitch, but it worked and improved my VR experience significantly.
With the new modifications, battery and USB-C hub, the second week with VR was far more enjoyable.
After all was said and done, I was glad to use my iPad and laptop again.
I could easily have several browser tabs, word processor and Outlook open at the same time.
The Meta Quest 3 holds plenty of promise, but it still has a long way to go before it can replace the essential role that laptops play in college education.
Once the Quest gains access to mainstream apps – natively – and addresses some hardware limitations, it will be a game-changer. For now, however, it remains a tech curiosity with endless potential. An innovative entertainment system, yes, but not yet a true replacement for the tried-and-true laptop and notepad.
