The Quest 3S, Meta’s latest combined actuality headset, will likely be out on this planet quickly. In the event you’re accustomed to the options at present supplied by Meta’s VR headsets, then the one stunning factor concerning the new {hardware} would be the value. Nevertheless 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 rather more modestly priced entry into the metaverse is obtainable for preorder at present; Meta says will probably be out on October 15.
The Meta Quest 3S was introduced at present at Meta Join, the corporate’s huge annual developer fete the place it sometimes additionally pronounces 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 various, 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 speedy 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 suitable 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 means of 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 worth to $400). The one model of the older Quest 3 you’ll purchase is the 512 GB model, and the worth 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 can 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 larger class of gadget faces an unsure destiny. Meta is clearly taking steerage from the underwhelming reception of Apple’s Vision Pro headset, and selecting to concentrate on units which might 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 in case you purchase it earlier than April 2025. (In the event 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 in the end, the Meta combined actuality expertise felt like most different immersive headset experiences. Sprawling, formidable, blurry, and sometimes disorienting. The headset is mild and simple to put on, however nonetheless makes you sweat in case you preserve it in your head too lengthy. The apps it presents are enjoyable, however may be skilled extra comfortably on extra conventional units. (I’ll play Wordle on my telephone, thanks.) Horizon Worlds, Meta’s digital assembly and hangout area, may very well be a neat place to stream a live performance, however all of the totally different realms nonetheless really feel disconnected and unusually thrown collectively, like in case you may shove your head straight right into a random subreddit.
Courtesy of Meta
Courtesy of Meta
That mentioned, the weirdness additionally makes for among 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 kids. Practically each particular person there was on mic, and each certainly one of them gave the impression of a baby. I attempted to order a digital Completely satisfied Meal, and was instantly referred to as out. They requested me how previous I used to be, and once I informed them my age there was a fantastic refrain of laughter.
“You are 34?” One in all them shouted, her tone a mixture 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 very least the Quest 3S will decrease the price of entry. The toddlers operating the VR McDonalds in Horizon Worlds are having a blast, so possibly that is simply their world now.
