Meta Quest 3S announced: Mixed reality for the mass market

Meta announced the Quest 3S VR glasses at its Connect conference today. It will be released on October 15, 2024 for 300 US dollars (128 GB memory) or 400 US dollars (256 GB). Much of the information had already been leaked in advance. The headset uses the same modern XR2 Gen 2 from Qualcomm that is also found in the Quest 3. Inexpensive components such as Fresnel lenses, however, enable cheaper production than with the standard Quest 3, which previously cost 550 euros (128 GB) or 700 euros (512 GB). We will provide euro prices for the new model as soon as they are known.

In principle, the Quest 3S can do everything that the Quest 3 can do. It is not only a stand-alone VR console with native games and its own store, but can also be used as PC VR glasses on the gaming computer – via USB connection or wirelessly via Wi-Fi 6E. Thanks to its color front cameras, it also supports mixed reality applications that enrich the real environment with virtual objects and opponents. For example, you can build racetracks through your own room in "Trackcraft" or punch a virtual boxer in "The Thrill of the Fight".

The resolution is 1832×1920 pixels per eye, just like the Meta Quest 2, so it could be the same old "Fresnel lenses" and LC displays. Although they do not quite achieve the outstanding clarity of the Quest 3 (2064 × 2208 pixels per eye), they still offer a really good image. One disadvantage is the larger dimensions – in contrast to the flat "pancake lenses" of the Quest 3, which reflect the light rays several times before they reach the eye.

The features of the Quest 3 at a low price

The Quest 3S also uses the modern Quest 3 controllers without tracking rings, which collide less frequently when playing "Beat Saber" or fast fitness apps. The 3.5" headphone connection has been removed. As an alternative to the built-in "sound slots", only USB or Bluetooth headsets come into question. The new "pass-through button" on the underside could come in handy: If you press it, you can switch between virtual reality and the mixed reality view of the real room. With the Quest 3, you have to tap the side of the housing twice to switch.

Quest 3S buyers will receive a key for the action adventure game "Batman: Arkham Shadow" until April 2025, which will be released exclusively for Quest 3 and Quest 3S on October 22. The price also includes three months of the Quest+ game subscription. Meta is likely trying to boost sales of its mixed reality glasses with the new, affordable headset variant.

Although the company does not publish official sales figures, the user numbers of the "First Encounter" demo suggest that they could be lower for the Quest 3 than for the cheaper Quest 2. The mixed reality demo is included with the Quest 3 and broke through the one million player mark on the leaderboard in June 2024. The headsets before that (Quest 1, 2 and Pro) could have sold over 20 million units: This figure appeared in a leaked internal presentation in March 2023.

Other manufacturers are likely to find it difficult to counter the presumably subsidized Quest 3S in terms of price. The Pico 4 Ultra, for example, also offers mixed reality in color and costs 600 euros. The price of the standard Quest 3 (512 GB) will fall from 650 to 500 dollars in future. The smaller Quest 3 model with only 128 GB of storage space will be discontinued: Remaining stocks will be reduced from 500 to 430 dollars. In the same breath, Meta is also discontinuing the Quest 2 and the failed Quest Pro. Both will either be available until the end of the year – or until stocks are empty.

(jpw)