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The rumors were true. The Quest 3S is real; in every way, it’s a cross between the Meta Quest 2 and the Meta Quest 3. The new headset promises to be as powerful as last year’s rendition, though with less pretty screens for a starting price of $300. Sure, you’ll still need to sign in with a Facebook account and suffer through more of Mark Zuckerberg’s “metaverse” talk, but the bargain basement pricing may be the shot in the arm Meta’s mixed reality ambitions needs.
The release effectively replaces the Quest 2. The 2020 headset was a solid option for the time, especially for its loss-leading price. The Quest 3S should be an even better deal. Meta claims this new headset “has the same power” as the Quest 3. The Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen2 processor powers the new headset, and it will have full-color passthrough. It also has 8GB of RAM compared to the Quest 2’s 6GB.
Meta said the new headset should have comparable hand tracking to the more expensive version, but given the hardware differences, you shouldn’t expect the same fidelity. The dual, three-lens arrays on the front include two RGB sensors, four VGA sensors for hand tracking, and two flood LEDs for aiding that tracking at different light levels. The Quest 3 has an added depth sensor that the 3S doesn’t.
© Image: Meta The main differences between this new headset and the Quest 3 is centered on the sensors and screens. The Quest 3S has the same 1832 by 1920 displays per eye as the Quest 2. It’s offering a smaller FOV and the same Fresnel lens as Meta’s last ultra-cheap headset. The Quest 3 has two 2065 by 2208 displays, which Zuckerberg’s company claims is equivalent to 4K. The higher-end Quest also has pancake lenses that offer better definition at different angles. They’re nearly equivalent in size and weight. Perhaps the biggest benefit of the Quest 3S is the 4324 mAh battery. Meta claims can get 2.5 hours of use on average, slightly more than the Quest 3.
If you haven’t yet bought a Quest, this release is proving to be one of the best times to get one. The Quest 3S costs $300 for 128GB of storage, but you could spend an extra $100 to get one with 256GB. Anything more, and you’ll need to spendpay for the Quest 3. The benefit is the high-end headset starts at 512 GB of storage instead of the previous 128 GB. The previous 512 Quest 3 cost $650. Meta says it will sell the 128GB version of the Quest 3 for $430 “while supplies last,” which is the same price as its recent Amazon Prime Day sale.
The Quest 3S comes in the box with two of the same Touch Plus controllers as the Quest 3 and the same head strap as last time. It should also accept “some, but not all” of the Quest 3’s accessories, including the elite strap with battery and carrying case.
Meta hopes this new, cheaper headset will entice more people to dive into the ever-nascent metaverse. Those who buy either the Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S between now and the end of April next year should get access to the upcoming Batman: Arkham Shadow VR Batman game, which will be released on Oct. 22. First-time buyers also get three months of Meta Quest+ game subscription service, which then becomes $8 a month after the free trial.
The other piece of Meta’s plan to get more headsets onto users’ heads is a pay-later scheme. Starting today, the Play Now, Pay Later program offers a Quest 3S at 128GB starting at $20 a month or the 256 GB version for $25 a month, which you’ll need to pay off over the next two years. It requires you to sign up for a financing plan with Affirm, though it comes with a subscription to Meta Quest+ and Meta Warranty Plus coverage. You can cancel the plan within 30 days for a refund.
Meta’s Quest 3 was a solid headset, but it took a year to come into its own. Since Meta released the Quest 3 last October, it’s received some significant updates that have improved hand tracking and added capabilities like HDMI link to connect practically any external device. Meta may have learned from Apple’s recent $3,500 Vision Pro that more people are interested in headsets they can actually afford.
Along with the Quest 2, we also have to say goodbye to the Quest Pro. Don’t feel the need to shed a tear for Meta’s forgotten, expensive headset. Zuckerberg and company certainly haven’t.
