Announcing the MetaQuest 3S: Mixed Reality for the Mass Market

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As part of its Connect conference, Meta today announced the Quest 3S VR glasses. It will be released on October 15, 2024 for 329.99 euros (128 GB storage) or 439.99 euros (256 GB). Much of the information had already been leaked. The headset uses the same modern XR2 Gen2 from Qualcomm that is also in the Quest 3 – and the same eight GB of RAM. Cheaper components such as the Fresnel lens enable cheaper production than the regular Quest 3, which previously cost 549.99 euros (128 GB) or 699.99 euros (512 GB).

In principle, the Quest 3S can do everything the Quest 3 can. Not only is it a standalone VR console with native games and its own store, but it also becomes a PC VR headset on a gaming computer – via a 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, in “Trackcraft” you create a race track through your room or beat up a virtual boxer in “The Thrill of the Fight”. However, the Quest 3’s hardware depth sensor has been removed.

The resolution is 1832 × 1920 pixels per eye, the same as the Meta Quest 2. So it may be the same old Fresnel lenses and LCD display. Although they do not achieve the excellent clarity of the Quest 3 (2064 × 2208 pixels per eye), they still provide a really good image. One disadvantage is the larger dimensions – unlike the flat “pancake lenses” of the Quest 3, which reflect light rays several times before they hit the eye. Still, the case is only slightly longer at 73.9 millimeters (Quest 3: 62.3 millimeters, Quest 2: 93.1 millimeters).

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Features of Quest 3 at a cheap price

Quest 3S weighs 514 grams (Quest 3: 515 grams). She also uses modern Quest 3 controllers without tracking rings, which are less likely to bump into each other when playing “Beat Saber” or fast fitness apps. The 3.5″ headphone jack has been removed. As an alternative to the built-in “sound slot”, only USB or Bluetooth headsets are possible. The new “passthrough button” below could be practical: if you press it, it turns you can switch between virtual reality and mixed reality in real space. With Quest 3 you have to tap twice on the edge of the housing to switch.

Quest 3S buyers will receive a key by April 2025 to the action adventure “Batman: Arkham Shadows”, which will be released on October 22 exclusively for Quest 3 and Quest 3S. The price also includes a three-month Quest+ gaming subscription. With the new, cheaper headset variant, Meta may be trying to boost sales of its mixed reality glasses.

The company does not publish official sales figures. User numbers of the “First Encounter” demo But there are suggestions they could be lower for the Quest 3 than for the cheaper Quest 2. A mixed reality demo is included with the Quest 3 and the leaderboard is tipped to break the one million player mark in June 2024. The previous headset (Quest 1, 2 and Pro) could have sold over 20 million units: this number was revealed in a leak in March 2023 Internal presentation But.

Other manufacturers will probably have difficulty competing with the price of the subsidized Quest 3s. For example, the Pico 4 Ultra also offers mixed reality in color and costs 600 euros. The price of the regular Quest 3 (512 GB) will drop from 699.99 to 549.99 euros. The smaller Quest 3 model with only 128 GB of storage space is being discontinued: the remaining stock in the United States will be reduced from 500 to 430 dollars. At the same time, Meta is also phasing out the Quest 2 and the failed Quest Pro. Both are available either until the end of the year – or until the warehouse is empty.

(JPW)