NEWSTECHNOLOGY

Inside Meta Quest 3S

VRNerd

Rumors were flying and leaks were leaking but now it is not only official but available for purchase: Meta Quest 3S has arrived. A slimmed-down, pared back take on the popular Quest 3 VR/AR device, Quest 3S is also more affordable, sitting just under $300 for its base model.

What’s Inside

Meta Quest 3S Package
The complete Meta Quest 3S package. [Image: Meta]

Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S differ in a number of ways, yet 3S retains much of the appeal of its bigger, more expensive sibling. This shouldn’t surprise anyone, as Quest 3S has always been pitched as something of a “lite” version of Quest 3. The pancake lenses used in the more high-end device are absent in its more modest iteration, which instead uses the same Fresnel lens system found in Quest 2. Other features of Quest 3S that fall short of Quest 3 include resolution (3.5 million display pixels at 1832 x 1920-per-eye vs. 4.5 million at 2064 x 2208-per-eye) and field of view (96° horizontal, 90° vertical vs. 110° and 96° respectively).

Quest 3S does improve on Quest 3 in several areas, though, perhaps most notably when it comes to battery life. Quest 3S allows users 2.5 hours of use, and upgrade from Quest 3’s 2.2 hours. This is good news for all kinds of users, from gamers to designers, project managers to adult entertainment enthusiasts. Along with its AR capabilities and the relatively comfortable fit of the device itself, Quest 3S should be well received by those seeking longer immersion in virtual spaces and elements.

Current and Future Quests

Left to right. Quest 2, Quest 3S and Quest 3
Quest 3S sits right in between Quest 2 and Quest 3 in terms of power, features, and capabilities. [Image: Meta]

Augmented or Mixed Reality use is a major selling point of Quest 3S, as it was for Quest 3. When announced at Meta Connect 2024 in late September, Quest 3S was shown being used to display virtual monitors over a real world environment, perfect for productivity and home office use. 

Available now at $299.99 for the 128 GB version and $399.99 for the 256 GB, Quest 3S feels quite a lot like the logical next upgrade over Quest 2, which remains, after all, the best-selling VR device of all time. Quest 3S could surpass Quest 2’s sales figures in time, but it will be a challenge when that device reportedly landed in the homes and hands of some 20 million users. No matter how popular it proves to be, Quest 3S makes an excellent first VR device or upgrade from a previous generation.