Comment on Meta Quest 3S: I'm afraid this is the wrong way to go
My review of the Meta Quest 3S has just been published, and I am much less enthusiastic than I was when I first saw the budget VR headset. In fact, I now fear that Meta's plan will backfire.
The roadmap for the Quest 3S was clear: the highest possible quality experience at the lowest possible price to attract as many people as possible to its ecosystem. However, in order to achieve this goal in the long run, Meta has, in my opinion, cut the wrong corners. People are just not used to having blurry areas in their field of view.
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Fresnel lenses are a drag on VR
One of the most underestimated problems with VR headsets is the blurry image caused by the Fresnel lenses that have long been the standard. Unless the headset fits perfectly — and most VR headsets rarely do — the field of view quickly slips out of the narrow sweet spot and the image becomes blurry.
Fresnel lenses are found in many VR headsets — I hope this changes soon. | Image: MetaIf you only move your eyes, you will always see a blurred image at the edges. It requires unnatural head movement to maintain the sweet spot, even when the headset is fixed.
This strains your eyes, makes you tire more quickly, and can cause headaches. What's more, the Quest 3S only has three awkward-to-use levels for adjusting the eye relief. This means that the sweet spot is very difficult to reach for some people. Permanent sharpness is therefore more a matter of luck. This combination can be a knockout for long-term success with the masses.
It's not the performance that matters most, it's the image
The argument that "Quest 2 also had Fresnel lenses and was the best-selling headset to date" is not valid in this context. The VR headset was hugely important to the VR industry and brought a lot of people into VR in the first place. But the success of the Quest 2 was also a child of the pandemic.
It also sold so well because people were bored at home, they were curious, and VR is predestined for escapism. But if you look at long-term user retention, Quest 2 still didn't keep the majority of those people in VR. I think a lot of people have no desire to look at blurry images in the long run. For me, at least, this was one of the reasons why Quest 2 and PSVR 1 quickly gathered dust on my shelf.
With the Quest 3S, you can play VR blockbusters like Batman: Arkham Shadow. But how long will that be fun if your view of it is constantly blurred? | Image: Camouflaj / Meta
Two big plus points for the Quest 3S are, of course, its much better performance and the expanded app store. The Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 is more powerful than its predecessor, and capable developers are able to create some amazing things on Quest 3 and Quest 3S (see Batman: Arkham Shadow).
But what good are the most beautiful graphics if I have to look at them through blurry lenses? The initial "wow" effect of a three-dimensional world is sometimes quickly followed by the realization that its beauty has its limits. A clear view of the action should be the absolute minimum that a mobile VR headset for beginners should provide.
First impressions count
Yes, it is impressive what Meta's engineers have packed into a VR headset that costs $300. With the introductory offer including free software, the price actually drops to just around $200. Of course, this offer is tempting, and I can understand why anyone interested in VR would want to get their hands on one.
But I'm also afraid that Meta will lure a lot of customers back into the ecosystem who won't stay for long due to a lack of clarity. Not to mention the fact that motion sickness is still treated far too casually. VR is a very delicate medium. Once you've had a bad VR experience, you're not going to come back.
That's why I would advise anyone who can afford it to save up and consider a Meta Quest 3. The Quest 3 is the better device in every way and will be much more fun in the long run.
And yes, I know that Fresnel lenses are cheaper than pancake lenses and that VR headsets are always a compromise between performance and cost. But nobody outside the well-informed VR bubble cares about that. For me, a budget VR headset needs decent lenses first and foremost to not only increase sales in the short term, but to create satisfied VR fans in the long term. It's all about first impressions.
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