Skip to main content TechRadar the technology experts Search TechRadar View Profile België (Nederlands) Deutschland North America US (English) Australasia New Zealand Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming Back to school Nintendo Switch 2 NYT Wordle today Best laptop Best web hosting Recommended reading Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Meta Quest 4: 5 things I want to see from Meta's next VR headset Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Meta Quest 4 reportedly delayed until 2027 – and we could see a whole new kind of Meta VR headset Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality I test VR headsets for a living, and this Meta Quest 3 accessory has taken my setup one step closer to Ready Player One Virtual Reality Gaming I test Meta Quest 3 games for a living – here are my 6 favorite deals from Meta's Mega Summer Sale Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality The limited edition Xbox Meta Quest 3S is the best VR headset deal I’ve seen in 2025 – here’s why Virtual Reality Gaming The best VR headsets in 2025: top virtual reality headsets from Meta, Valve and more Virtual Reality Gaming Move over ROG Xbox Ally – the real first portable Xbox is here, and it’s a gorgeous VR headset Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Meta revealed what makes a VR game perfect, and it could be hinting at big hardware changes Hamish Hector 29 July 2025 Meta might want to make its Goldilocks zone longer When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Meta) Meta revealed the ideal VR gaming session is 20 to 40 minutes Less than that and VR doesn't feel worthwhile Longer and hardware issues can have a negative impact Meta has released new research it has conducted into the perfect length of VR games, and based on my experience testing its Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S, and its older headsets, the results of the study ring true. This advice might not just mean we see alterations to the kinds of apps we get in VR, but also tweaks to Meta’s hardware itself. Its published findings point to design issues that many have with existing hardware, problems that leaks of Meta’s next headset release suggest have been resolved for its next device. More on that below, but first let’s begin with Meta’s research, and why 20-40 minutes is apparently the ideal length for a VR game session. You may like Meta Quest 4: 5 things I want to see from Meta's next VR headset Meta Quest 4 reportedly delayed until 2027 – and we could see a whole new kind of Meta VR headset I test VR headsets for a living, and this Meta Quest 3 accessory has taken my setup one step closer to Ready Player One (Image credit: Meta) As Meta succinctly explains in a short graphic (above), the “Golidilocks session length” is about 20-40 minutes based on its research. If a VR session is shorter than 20 minutes, we can be left feeling unsatisfied. While many mobile games can get away with a shorter 5 to 10 minute loop (or even less), VR requires more effort to enter (clearing space, donning the headset, etc), so it necessitates a more worthwhile experience. VR can still offer those shorter loops – such as Beat Saber delivering levels which are just one song long – but they need to be chained together in a meaningful way. For example, you can play several Beat Saber missions as part of a workout, or as a warm-up to your VR gaming sesh. For multiplayer games, if a match is typically 10 minutes long, a satisfying experience might be that your daily quests are something you usually accomplish in two games. After 40 minutes, the experience starts to have diminishing returns as people begin to feel friction from physical constraints – such as their fitness levels for a more active game, social isolation in single-player mode, limited battery life, or (for newcomers) motion sickness. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. That’s why Meta says it has found games between this length are just right (i.e. in the Goldilocks zone) for most VR gamers. (Image credit: Meta) Now, if you’re not a VR app developer, this will be directly useful for your software, but for non-developers, there are some things we can take away from Meta’s findings. For a start, it provides some additional proof for the advice I always give VR newcomers: just start with a headset and get accessories later. Now, if they come free in a bundle that’s one thing, but if you’re looking to spend a significant sum on a headstrap with a built-in battery on day one, you likely want to think again. Yes there are plenty of people who do push through that 40-minute barrier and love it, and so having a larger battery is useful – I always think back to my time playing Batman: Arkham Shadow for as long as my battery would allow and being so frustrated at waiting for it to recharge – there are many folks for whom just 20 to 40 minutes is perfect. As I always say, try your headset for a few weeks and see if you need a bigger battery or would benefit from any other accessories before buying them. With fast delivery, you won’t be waiting long before you get them anyway if you do decide they’re for you. Is something slimmer on the way? (Image credit: Future) This research could also point to Meta’s next VR headset design as it works to remove some of VR’s hardware barriers. There are several rumors that its next headset, codenamed Puffin, and now Phoenix in leaks, will be ultra-slim goggles. Its rival, Pico, is said to be designing something similar (you can see the Pico 4 Ultra above). The bulk of the processing power and the battery would be shifted to a puck, kinda like Apple’s Vision Pro, but with even more crammed into the pocket-sized pack, so that the weight on a person’s head is only a little over 100g. Considering a Meta Quest 3 weighs 515g, this would be a serious change, and could transform the Horizon OS headset into something people can (and want) to wear for hours on end rather than less than an hour. What's more, with the battery in a person's pocket, Meta could make it even larger than before without affecting comfort. Though, as with all speculation, we'll have to wait and see what Meta announces next, perhaps it'll be nothing like a headset and a smartwatch instead. You might also like I took my Meta Quest 3 on a 3,000-mile flight so you don’t have to Meta's next wearables announcement might include a smartwatch for its smart glasses I tried the new Meta AI app and it's like ChatGPT for people who like to overshare See more Computing News Hamish Hector Social Links Navigation Senior Staff Writer, News Hamish is a Senior Staff Writer for TechRadar and you’ll see his name appearing on articles across nearly every topic on the site from smart home deals to speaker reviews to graphics card news and everything in between. He uses his broad range of knowledge to help explain the latest gadgets and if they’re a must-buy or a fad fueled by hype. Though his specialty is writing about everything going on in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. 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