Meta Quest 3S Review: The Best Cheap Ticket to Mixed Reality - CNET

Article updated on October 14, 2024 at 6:00 AM PDT

It's by far the best value in VR. But the question is, should you upgrade to it or go with Meta's even better model?

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A year goes by quickly. Last October, I reviewed Meta's impressive Quest 3 and then was hospitalized with a blood pressure condition that led me to a regimen of workouts in VR. It redefined my relationship with what a VR headset is in my life: For me, right now, it's a fitness-first device.

Meta's Quest headsets aren't like that for everyone, of course. For many, they're game consoles. Or makeshift work or creative devices, or a thing for their kids to play with. The Meta Quest 2 became a pandemic gadget darling. But since then, the future of VR shifted more toward mixed reality: Apple's expensive Vision Pro and the Quest 3 have shown ways of blending real-world video with VR graphics to make it feel like your worlds are colliding. We don't have everyday AR glasses yet, but in the meantime, we have these mixed reality-capable VR headsets.

How much would you spend for still-experimental, often amazing, but not quite necessary tech, though? Apple sets the bar at $3,500, while Meta's Quest 3 is well below that at $500. But you can go even lower.

The $300 Quest 3S is Meta's new low-end replacement for the Quest 2. Meta used to have just one VR headset per generation but with the Quest 3S and Quest 3, Meta has expanded the lineup. Think of the Quest 3S as the budget version of the Quest 3, or the Quest 3 as the "pro" version of the Quest 3S.

The Meta Quest 3S adds mixed reality with color passthrough cameras and improved graphics for $300. Consider it a budget Quest 3.

That's exactly how it's priced, too: the Quest 3S comes in two configs at $300 and $400, and then the Quest 3 is $500. After using the Quest 3S for a week, I'm incredibly impressed with how much this $300 gadget can actually do. Even so, it's not a necessary upgrade yet for a Quest 2 owner, and new buyers might also consider splurging up and getting what, to me, is the best headset of the lot, the Quest 3, which has better lenses and displays.

But, a year into the Quest 3's lifespan, the proposition for Meta's VR ecosystem also hasn't changed much. Mixed-reality apps aren't widespread, although that might change fast now that the Quest 2 is discontinued and the Quest 3S and 3 are one family going forward.

Yes, this is a great $300 holiday gift and one of the best VR headsets around. However, there's a bit more to learn before you buy it.

The Quest 3S (center) has a generally similar look to the Quest 2 (left) and Quest 3 (right), but it feels like it meets both models in the middle.

VR headsets haven't changed much, cosmetically speaking. The Quest 3S doesn't really look much different from the Quest 2, although there are key differences. Even though the headset dimensions look the same, the white plastic body is smaller and lighter, notably so. The black eyepiece face mask takes up the difference in space, though, so it's not any smaller to travel with. The Quest 3 is even more compact, but seen side by side, they all still look pretty similar at a glance.

An array of new tracking cameras on the front can recognize hand tracking better, something that's a huge help for most VR apps you might choose to use without controllers (something I do a lot when I'm just browsing or connecting with my laptop for work).

There's no headphone jack (sigh), but the headband has built-in and serviceably good spatial audio speakers. The elastic headband attaches via Velcro, although other strap accessories can be bought separately. The included strap feels pretty good on my head, though.

The Quest 3S controllers (left) ditch the plastic ring of the Quest 2 controllers (right). They're the same as the ones that come with the Quest 3.

The 3S comes with a plastic spacer to accommodate glasses-wearers, but I appreciate that the foam plastic face piece feels pretty wide, wide enough for my glasses or even a pair of Meta Ray Bans (a bit of a squeeze). There are only three preset eye distance settings (just like Quest 2) compared to the slider on the Quest 3, but I didn't mind. Also, the face piece feels sturdier on my face with glasses than the Quest 3's slightly flimsier glasses-distance adjustment system. (You can also buy prescription lenses, which don't cost too much at $50.)

The controllers are the same as the Quest 3's. If you didn't read up on what the Quest 3 brought to the table, these controllers ditch the plastic ring of the Quest 2 controllers, making them much more compact for travel. There's a comfy angled thumb rest area, too. Otherwise, they work the same.

One little addition to the headset that I love is a dedicated mixed-reality button on the bottom of the headset. You can press it to switch between immersive VR mode and a passthrough camera view with VR menus overlaid, similar to the Digital Crown on the Vision Pro. It's a little hard to find with my fingers while wearing, but it's easier than double-tapping the side of the Quest headset (something you do on the Quest 2 and Quest 3).

You can see the difference in size of the body of each headset here. The Quest 2 is the biggest (left), then the Quest 3S (middle), then the Quest 3 (right). But the face pieces make up the difference.

The Quest 3S has much-improved color passthrough cameras, far better than the muddy black-and-white cameras on the Quest 2. They don't seem as crisp as the Quest 3, though, because the 3S' inner lenses and displays aren't improved (see below for more on that). But they're good enough to read messages on my phone, look around the room, say hi to my kids or wander around the office with the 3S on like a weird cyber-man without tripping over anything.

Just like the Quest 3, this 3S can scan the world and "mesh" its dimensions to layer 3D VR on top of your environment. It's pretty amazing that something this low-cost can do this, and the effects are still good enough to be fun and even useful.

The Quest 3S works with hand tracking, too, and it works better than on the Quest 2.

I prefer mixed-reality modes in fitness apps and active games because I can see my surroundings -- it's safer. Eleven Table Tennis can drop a ping-pong table into my living room. Supernatural floats holographic trainers and a window into my fitness targets while I can still see my office around the edges.

Meta hasn't done a ton with mixed reality yet, even a year into the Quest 3's existence. My guess is that's largely because of the Quest 2's popularity and the smaller percentage of Quest 3 owners, meaning it wasn't a developer priority. That could change fast now that the Quest 2 is discontinued and the 3S is its budget replacement.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip in the Quest 3S is the same as the Quest 3's and a significant bump over the Quest 2 processor. There are already a number of games with graphic upgrades that can take advantage of the chip and a growing number of exclusives that will only run on Quest 3 and 3S. Batman: Arkham Shadow, which comes as a free download with the Quest 3S, is one of them.

I loaded one of the Quest's beefiest games, Asgard's Wrath II, on both Quest 2 and Quest 3S. Load times took a while for both, but the 3S was definitely quicker. The game's extra detail also shines more on the Quest 3S, but not always as much as you might think. The reason, once again, is the optics.

The Quest 3S has the same fresnel lenses and display resolution as the Quest 2. It fits comfortably on my face, but the Quest 3 optics look better.

The Fresnel lenses and 1,832x1,920-pixel-per-eye resolution of the Quest 3S LCDs are the same as on the Quest 2. Four years later, that's a disappointment. It was excellent back then, less so now. If you're already a Quest 2 owner and are fine with the headset, maybe you'll be fine here, too.

I admit I'm spoiled when it comes to headset quality. Not just by the stellar feel of Apple's expensive Vision Pro but also by Meta's own Quest 3. The Quest 3's pancake lenses are crystal clear compared to the ribbed design of the fresnel lenses on the Quest 2, and the bumped-up 2,064x2,208-pixel-per-eye resolution combine to make text look a lot clearer and graphics look sharper. The Quest 3 lenses are a luxury, but for something I use every time I go into VR, it feels worth it.

The optics dampen the graphic upgrades a bit in my opinion, as if I were playing a better game console on an older TV. Still, the Quest 3S is perfectly capable for a lot of things. I worked on a story for CNET while connected to the Immersed app paired to my MacBook Air, and it felt fine in a pinch. The lower-quality display experience is noticeable, though, as I focused on text on the virtual monitors.

But again, for the price, this is still a shockingly good package.

A new mixed-reality button on the bottom (the circular one, right) switches between passthrough cameras and immersive VR modes.

Meta lists the Quest 3S battery life at 2.5 hours, and the Quest 2 lasts about two to three hours on a charge. After using it for a week, I found I still need to babysit how much I can use it before needing a recharge. It's the same proposition, mostly: Good for a long session, and then you'll want to recharge (and probably give your eyes a break, too).

A quick word on Meta's app ecosystem for the Quest, in case you didn't know: It's a separate OS and app ecosystem than iOS or Android or Windows, so you need to buy into its downloadable apps and subscription services. However, the Quest can connect to PCs to play Steam VR games and can stream Microsoft Game Pass games. A growing number of apps also connect to Microsoft services or Amazon Prime video. There's a web browser, too. Meta still lacks a good music/movie hub like Apple, Google and Amazon have, but Meta's folding Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and Meta AI into Quest more than ever. A phone app syncs with IOS and Android to cast videos, download captured in-headset video and get phone notifications. The headset can connect with Macs and Windows PCs to become an extended monitor, just like Vision Pro too.

Horizon OS (formerly known as Oculus) is the best ecosystem for a standalone VR headset in terms of all its games and apps, but it still feels walled off from all the integrated functions of Google's ecosystem or Apple's. I often feel like I'm "going in" to the Quest, versus feeling like it's an extension of the devices I already own. Think of it like a game console with tons of added benefits, though, and it's remarkable.

The Quest 2 (left) and Quest 3S (right). The 3S is the better headset, but you may be fine sticking it out with a Quest 2 for another year too.

I know plenty of people who still love the Quest 2. One of them is my 16-year-old kid. I let him play the Quest 3S for a while to get his thoughts, and what he said was telling. While he appreciated the load times and thought the mixed reality was fun, for a lot of games he didn't necessarily notice a big difference.

Many Quest games, right now, don't need a Quest 3S and won't necessarily take advantage of it. But over time, more will. You may be perfectly fine sticking it out with your Quest 2, especially since the Quest 3S's optics and battery life aren't any different.

One bummer is that the Quest 3S, at $300, is actually more expensive than the discounted $200 Quest 2. The Quest 3S is the one to get over the Quest 2 if you want to buy a brand-new budget VR headset, but it could still be an expensive upgrade for a casual user, especially since you might need to buy new accessories like head straps or prescription lenses, too.

You could also wait and see how many games and apps get Quest 3S optimized. Meta eventually cut off the original Oculus Quest from new updates and compatibility with many new apps, and the Quest 2 could eventually follow in that same path, but not yet.

One note on storage: 128GB on the base $300 model is fine, but there's no way to expand its storage. Some games, like Asgard's Wrath II, can be more than 30GB, so available space can be eaten up fast. The $400 256GB model is certainly a safer bet, but then you may wonder, "Why not just get a Quest 3?"

The Quest 3 (right) is more expensive than the Quest 3S (left), but the Quest 3 also has better lenses, a higher-res display, and more storage.

I really like the Quest 3's proposition. Meta increased the storage to 512GB for the hardware's $500 price, a luxurious amount for downloading lots of games and apps. The other big plus is its better display, its crisper, clearer optics and more adjustable eye-distance (IPD) slider. These are important comfort factors and can even help reduce eye strain. As someone who spends a lot of time in VR, I much prefer what the Quest 3 brings to the table. But again, it's a pro-type upgrade, similar to getting an iPhone Pro over the standard iPhone.

The Quest 3S fresnel lenses (left) vs the Quest 3 pancake lenses (right), which are larger, clearer, and just better.

Meta priced the Quest 3 smartly compared to the 3S. For $200 more, quadrupling the storage and adding better lenses and displays is well worth it. But if you want a simple, fun entry ticket to VR at an amazing price, the Quest 3S is a really good upgraded device with a lot of headroom for mixed-reality evolution in the years to come. And if you're thinking of VR as a simple, fun everyday toy, and you're not wanting to spend too much, then the cheaper 3S is exactly where you want to be.