The Quest 3S, Meta’s latest combined actuality headset, will likely be out on the earth quickly. Should you’re aware of the options presently supplied by Meta’s VR headsets, then the one stunning factor concerning the new {hardware} would be the value. However it’s reverse sticker shock: The brand new Meta Quest 3S is a $300 headset that has almost all of the capabilities of the $500 Meta Quest 3. This far more modestly priced entry into the metaverse is obtainable for preorder right now; Meta says it will likely be out on October 15.
The Meta Quest 3S was introduced right now at Meta Join, the corporate’s massive annual developer fete the place it sometimes additionally proclaims new merchandise. Within the keynote deal with, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg laid out his imaginative and prescient for the corporate’s newest AR and VR units and the numerous, many updates to the AI options being constructed into its platforms.
Just like the Quest 3, the Quest 3S is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 platform. It has full colour passthrough imaginative and prescient, so you may pipe in a view of your fast setting (and navigate round your espresso desk) with out taking the goggles off. There’s even a brand new devoted button on the underside of the headset for this; press it everytime you wish to see your real-life environment. The headset is appropriate with most Quest 3 equipment, however not all of them. The Quest 3S additionally options Meta’s Horizon OS, which permits for a desktop-like expertise the place you may cycle by 2D apps and browser tabs after which seamlessly swap to watching a film or taking part in a sport. And sure, you may play Wordle in it.
The bottom configuration of the Quest 3S comes with 128 GB of storage, and for an additional $100 you may add as much as 256 GB (bringing the value to $400). The one model of the older Quest 3 you can purchase is the 512 GB model, and the value on that mannequin is dropping from $650 all the way down to $450. Meta will wind down manufacturing of its different headsets, too; the corporate says it is going to quickly cease promoting the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Professional.
These cheaper costs, together with a diminished emphasis on the premium fashions, are supposed to entice a broader swath of the VR curious. Meta is more likely to announce Quest headsets with beefier specs sooner or later, although for now that greater class of machine faces an unsure destiny. Meta is clearly taking steerage from the underwhelming reception of Apple’s Vision Pro headset, and selecting to deal with units which can be cheaper and extra accessible.
Courtesy of Meta
Courtesy of Meta
The day earlier than the announcement, Meta supplied a 40-minute demo of the Meta Quest 3S at its headquarters in Silicon Valley. I performed a demo of the VR sport Batman: Arkham Shadow, which comes put in on the Quest 3S for those who purchase it earlier than April 2025. (Should you’ve ever needed to really feel what it’s prefer to crouch round in a sewer whereas dressed as Batman, it is a sport for you.)
However finally, the Meta combined actuality expertise felt like most different immersive headset experiences. Sprawling, formidable, blurry, and infrequently disorienting. The headset is gentle and straightforward to put on, however nonetheless makes you sweat for those who maintain it in your head too lengthy. The apps it provides are enjoyable, however may be skilled extra comfortably on extra conventional units. (I’ll play Wordle on my cellphone, thanks.) Horizon Worlds, Meta’s digital assembly and hangout area, might be a neat place to stream a live performance, however all of the totally different realms nonetheless really feel disconnected and surprisingly thrown collectively, like for those who might shove your head instantly right into a random subreddit.
Courtesy of Meta
Courtesy of Meta
That stated, the weirdness additionally makes for a few of the extra attention-grabbing moments. At one level throughout my Quest 3S demo, I navigated, to the chagrin of my Meta press handlers, to a user-created realm in Horizon Worlds referred to as MetDonalds. This turned out to be a VR rendering of a McDonalds restaurant that was completely operated by youngsters. Almost each particular person there was on mic, and each considered one of them seemed like a baby. I attempted to order a digital Comfortable Meal, and was instantly referred to as out. They requested me how previous I used to be, and once I instructed them my age there was an amazing refrain of laughter.
“You are 34?” One among them shouted, her tone a mix of teasing and astonishment. “What are you even doing right here?”
Good query, child. Good query.
In the end, the Meta Quest 3S is right here to serve up the identical sorts of VR options that its VR headsets have supplied for some time. The metaverse isn’t totally right here but, and Horizon Worlds nonetheless feels janky and disorienting. However hey, if these untamed experiences are your factor, then at the least the Quest 3S will decrease the price of entry. The toddlers working the VR McDonalds in Horizon Worlds are having a blast, so possibly that is simply their world now.
