Meta Quest 3S Review – New to VR? Start right here

Introduction

Meta introduced its latest range of VR headsets with a premium model, but now it’s time for the Everyman edition to take center stage. For price alone, the Meta Quest 3S is hard to fault – it has the same outward tracking, internal hardware and deceptively smart controllers as the more expensive Meta Quest 3, but uses previous-generation optics to control the costs .

It replaces the aging Quest 2 (which originally launched under the Oculus brand, before new owner Meta swooped in and renamed it) and does a lot more to embrace the mixed reality technology that’s now a staple of high-end headphones, including the Apple Vision Pro. That means you get a lot of gadgets for your cash, but did Meta have to cut any corners in the process? After a few weeks of testing, I think it depends on whether or not you’re already a VR veteran.

Design and construction: familiar but different

The all-white Quest 3S has a slightly different feel to the Quest 3, which is more sculpted and slightly thinner. The twin triple camera lens assemblies also make it look a little more bug-like than its big brother, which always made me think of the three-eyed fish from The Simpsons.

It’s still mostly made of plastic, with fabric wrapped over the face pillow and plush padded arms that house the built-in speakers and USB-C charging port. The head strap itself is stretch fabric, which takes a bit of fiddling with to find the perfect fit. Even then, it’s not the most comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions, with most of the weight distribution at the front of the face. It’s a good ad for the optional Elite strap.

I found the foam padding to be comfortable enough and does a good job of blocking out light, though like all headsets, it can soak up sweat during vigorous gaming and VR experiences. There’s almost room to house my glasses without using the included spacer, which is an option if you have particularly thick specs.

There’s basically nothing between the Quest 3 and the Quest 3S in terms of weight, as while the former’s pancake lenses save space, they’re a bit heavier than the 3S’s older Fresnel lenses. These headphones also make do with three stages of manual interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment, rather than the more granular electronic adjustment of the more expensive model. Here, the buttons on the bottom of the headphones only control the volume and turn the walk-through camera on and off.

The 3.5mm headphone port has been ditched, so you’ll need wired USB-C headphones or a wireless dongle (preferably one with direct charging) for private listening. The speakers do a decent job with positional audio and are loud enough to immerse you in apps and games.

Underneath is essentially a Quest 2 with step-up cameras added, meaning you get the same 1832×1920 resolution per eye from a single LCD screen. Both the field of view and resolution are lower than the Quest 3, and combined with the more limited IPD adjustment, the difference is noticeable. That’s not to say things look terrible here, just that the Quest 3’s higher price buys you sharper images.

I’ve used many different VR headsets, so I quickly noticed the “god ray” effects created by the lenses and the gray shadows that come from using LCD technology instead of OLED.

Controllers: The VR standard

VR controllers have largely stuck to the same general design for a few generations, with the biggest changes being how the headset tracks them. Meta removed the tracking rings from the Touch Plus controllers introduced with the Quest 3 and brought them wholesale here.

You get the familiar trigger, thumb and button combination of each, which ticks all the boxes for standalone VR gaming. Haptic feedback is subtle, the capacitive sensors on the top plates offer limited finger tracking, and each runs on a single AA battery good for about 30 hours of use each. Don’t forget to get your hands through the wrist straps, lest you accidentally send one into something expensive, or someone else nearby.

Tracking is spot-on as long as the controllers are in the line of sight of the headset’s camera, and it can detect your hands for controller-less interaction in the main UI, though not to the same degree as an Apple Vision Pro as there is no eye tracking here. Not all apps support manual tracking, so you’ll need to keep your controllers fairly close at all times.

Interface: over the horizon

Meta’s Horizon OS exists in its own bubble, independent of the Android software it’s built on. Setup is the work of a few minutes, with a quick scan of the room to set up game limits and a few app-based logins before you’re up and running.

The interface is unique, with all the usual self-branded tools like a video player, web browser, file manager and motion tracker for anyone looking to use VR to improve their fitness. Naturally, there is also the full complement of Meta services on board, including Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp.

All apps that aren’t a full-screen experience appear as a carousel of windows, allowing you to jump between multiple apps at once. They can be dragged to clear the view in step-by-step mode, although the 4MP cameras weren’t sharp enough to comfortably work on my laptop using mixed reality. A Pico 4 Ultra does a better job with its higher resolution sensors. However, the Meta version details easily enough for mixed reality games. Being able to quickly jump between the two modes is a real win when you’ve also lost your sense of position within physical space.

Where Meta wins back is its excellent selection of third-party apps and games. The Meta Horizon addon is constantly trying to point you in the direction of big hitters like Minecraft Quest Edition, Beat Saber, Bonelab i Superhot VR. You won’t find Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond or Batman: Arkham Shadow on any rival headset.

You can also connect the Quest 3S to your gaming PC to play Steam VR games; it just needs a few extra bits of software that still carry the old Oculus branding. Wireless streaming is an option, but you need a top-notch router and preferably your computer connected via Ethernet. Fail to convince PCVR owners

Games and experiences: the greatest

With the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset and 8GB of RAM as the more expensive Quest 3, the Quest 3S raises the bar for quality VR. Developers won’t have to make as many concessions as when working with the Quest 2’s older hardware, which is expected to lead to an even larger software library.

Until then, faster load times here than in Quest 2, with a mix of graphical fidelity depending on the game. VR chat is basic and basic, while Batman: Arkham Shadow really pushes the mobile chipset to its limits. No game I tried could hold a candle to PSVR 2 or a high-end PCVR release, but there’s some great gameplay to be found by digging through the Meta Store. And once you’re immersed in a game, the Quest 3S’s optical limitations aren’t as noticeable, even if there are still more artifacts and pixelated edges than you’ll get on the Quest 3.

The 128GB entry model headset will be enough for most, with room for 10-50 different games and VR experiences depending on the installation size. Unless you buy several large ones over 30GB com The Wrath of Asgardor download lots of VR videos, you won’t fill up the Quest 3S in a hurry.

Officially, the Quest 3S lasts about two and a half hours of use, which is about the same as the Quest 2. That worked out in my tests, with the low battery warning popping up as I was getting ready to end my longest VR sessions. Only serious VR addicts will want more or ask for a faster recharge.

Verdict of Meta Quest 3S

As a standalone VR, nothing beats the Meta Quest 3S for the money. It improves on the Quest 2 with a step up to full color, better tracking and a more powerful processor, without demanding extra money than its predecessor. Factor in Meta’s extensive software library and app integration, and it’s the obvious choice for anyone new to VR.

Those who previously owned a more expensive PC VR headset, a PlayStation VR, or a Quest 2 will be better served with the Quest 3. It may not be significantly faster or more powerful, but its pancake lenses provide a boost remarkable image quality.

However, this model also costs considerably more; in most other respects, the Quest 3S is just as good. If you can stomach its optical limitations, it’s a great entry point.

Technical specifications of Meta Quest 3S