I have tried the Meta Quest 3S and at this price it is simply unbeatable
Meta invited me to the pre-release event for the new Meta Quest 3S in London. I had the opportunity to test the headset before the official release on October 15th. Here are my initial impressions.
The Meta Quest 3S is a budget VR headset that packs a punch. For $300, you get the technical infrastructure of the flagship Meta Quest 3 and the lenses of the extremely successful but now discontinued Quest 2.
At Meta's press event in London, I had the chance to try out how the Quest 3's next-generation chipset and pass-through cameras get along with the outdated Fresnel lenses and how the whole thing feels in practice. Here are my impressions.
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High-quality design at an attractive price
At first glance, the Meta Quest 3S impresses with its high-quality workmanship. Despite the use of Meta's usual white plastic, the headset has a very high-quality look. At 514 grams, it is also one of the lightest standalone VR headsets.
The Quest 3S comes in the typical white plastic design. However, the cameras and sensors are arranged differently to the Quest 3.
The included cloth headband is comfortable and ideal for short VR sessions or leaning back while watching a movie. If you want to immerse yourself in VR for longer and more active sessions, you can opt for more comfortable alternatives from Meta or other manufacturers.
Switching is easy thanks to the clip mechanism. Plus, the Quest 3S is compatible with many Quest 3 accessories. This means you can choose from a wide range of accessories right from the start.
Mixed Reality cameras and sensors
The eight black cameras and sensors on the front and sides of the headset are striking. Four of them detect your body movements, two infrared sensors are used for depth sensing, and two RGB cameras provide a color image of your physical environment to the VR headset.
You can switch to this so-called passthrough mode by pressing the new Action Button on the bottom right of the housing. You immediately see the real world captured by the RGB cameras. Passthrough works surprisingly well for the $300 price tag, even if you notice that you are looking at a camera image.
Mixed reality games, virtual screens or interactions with real objects are no problem. Thanks to the hand tracking, the included Touch Plus Controllers are even unnecessary in some apps. This also ran smoothly during my hands-on with the usual Quest quality.
Impressive image quality despite cheaper technology
The biggest technical difference from the Quest 3 is in the lenses. Instead of the more expensive pancake lenses, the Quest 3S uses Fresnel lenses. These are cheaper, absorb less light, and therefore do not need an extremely bright display like the Quest 3.
Fresnel lenses are more susceptible to light reflections. Nevertheless, they do a good job in the Quest 3S. | Image: Meta
Although the ring cut of these lenses has its drawbacks, such as unwanted light reflections or blurriness at the edges, practical experience shows that they do a good job: Playing with the Quest 3S is a lot of fun and never feels inferior. However, I would not agree with the claim that there is no difference in image quality compared to the $200 more expensive Quest 3.
The colors and contrasts of the LC display also convince me. Without having made a direct comparison, I believe that the technical difference to the Quest 3 will not be very noticeable to many VR gamers. After all, the brain quickly compensates for minor technical disadvantages, especially in action-packed games.
Unfortunately, I can't say much about the sound of the Quest 3S, as the testing environment was relatively loud. However, I had the impression that we are on a similar level as with the Quest 3. If you prefer to use headphones anyway, you will have to use Bluetooth or wired headphones with a USB-C or USB-C to jack adapter.
Strong software ecosystem
In addition to its impressive hardware, the Meta Quest 3S comes with an extensive and sophisticated software offering. The operating system is the same as on all Quest headsets, so it runs stable and is constantly being expanded with new features.
Over 600 games, including top titles like Assassin's Creed Nexus and Asgard's Wrath 2, as well as upcoming blockbusters like Batman: Arkham Shadow, Alien: Rogue Incursion and Behemoth, will keep VR gamers entertained. If you order the Quest 3S, you can even get Batman: Arkham Shadow for free until April 30, 2025.
My preliminary conclusion
Of course, only long-term tests will show how good the Quest 3S really is. But the way I've experienced the headset so far, Meta's Quest 3S is probably the best VR headset in the price range up to $350.
Convincing technology, good workmanship, and a strong content ecosystem make the headset a clear recommendation for beginners and price-conscious VR fans. If you don't want to compromise, the Quest 3 is the way to go, but the 3S is still capable of delivering fantastic VR and mixed reality experiences.
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