The brand new Quest 3s offers simply incredible value for money. For just 299$ you get a VR standalone headset that allows you to immerse yourself in the latest VR games, watch movies on huge virtual screens and even dip your toes into the latest mixed reality applications that magically transform your actual environment into spaceships or whatever developers come up with. All that in a self contained package without the need for a computer.
With this price point and that functionality, Meta truly brings this still new technology to the mainstream and makes it affordable for everyone. And that’s quite the antithesis to Apple’s Vision Pro that costs more than 10 times as much. In this review I will break down why I like the Meta Quest 3s and can recommend it to everyone that wants to get into VR, but I will also tell you why in my opinion there is also another option that you should seriously consider and that might serve you better on the long run.
Overview & Features & Build Quality
First things first: the Quest 3s is not a newer version of the 1 year old Quest 3. It is more of a successor of the now discontinued Quest 2, a headset that was wildly successful and sold in the millions. So you could think of it as Quest 2.5 that refreshes the original Quest 2 in order to offer an entry level headset that can play all of the Quest 3 ecosystem games, including those new and fancy mixed reality ones, because the Quest 3s now also can do depth-correct color pass-through like the Quest 3. In order to be able to offer the device for only 299$, the optical stack of the Quest 2, the lenses and the display, remain unchanged. It’s the same single LCD 4k panel for both eyes, the same Fresnel lenses and the same 3 position IPD adjustment. What has been upgraded though is the SOC that is running the device: the Quest 3s is now powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, the same chip that also powers the Quest 3. That allows for better visuals and processing those fancy mixed reality games that are now also possible thanks to new color pass-through cameras! Other than that, the 3s now also comes with the ringless Touch controllers that are also part of the Quest 3. For 299$ you get the 128GB version and for $100 more you get 256GB. On top of all of that, Meta even throws in a copy of the brand new Batman game for everyone who buys a new Quest 3 or Quest 3s. Meta is bullish AF and it is simply tough not go get into the ecosystem for that kind of value offered!
Visuals
But now let’s get into the review part and let’s start with the visuals! How do games look like in VR and how good is the new color pass-through? In a nutshell, for games, you pretty much get the same visuals that you got with the Quest 2. However, since there is now more horsepower to drive better resolutions, in direct A/B comparison the games will look better if they are already optimised for the new chip. Do they look as good as in the Quest 3 though? No, since the display and lens combination simply cannot compete with the higher quality Quest 3 optical stack. For the pass-through though, it is just as good as that of the Quest 3. But let’s get a bit more into detail for you to understand what the compromise is to get to this price point.
Display
You are looking at a single LCD panel with a resolution of 3840* 3664 pixels. And that is shared by both of your eyes since indeed it is only a single display that is built into the 3s. That is also the reason why there is no real IPD adjustment, which would allow you to set the distance between the lenses exactly according to the distance between your eyes. You are only offered 3 IPD positions here and if your actual IPD happens to be anywhere between those settings you might not enjoy the device to its fullest extent. The more premium Quest 3 comes with two displays and therefore the lenses and displays can be set into the exact position that would give you the most comfortable viewing experience.
The display itself is a standard LCD panel that we have seen in the Quest 2, Pico Neo 3 Link and DPVR E4. It is probably the most used VR display ever and it is kind of a tried and true formula at this point. It can do 120hz which is nice but it does not impress with the best colours or the darkest blacks. But it does its job well, especially taking into account that we are looking at a $299 device.
Lenses
Let’s talk about the lenses. As mentioned above we are looking through the same lenses that we already saw in the Quest 2. These are Fresnel lenses that come with those concentric rings. It’s a lense technology that does feel a bit outdated in 2024 since the industry has mostly moved towards clear pancake lenses that do not have those rings. Due to their design, Fresnel lenses come with a few trade-offs, like a smaller sweet spot and the so called god-rays that would introduce glare in high-contrast scenes.
Now there are still quality differences for Fresnel lenses and Quest 3s ones are considered to be pretty good ones that do not introduce as much glare as for example the Valve Index lenses. So you will mostly have a good experience here, especially when simply playing games.
In direct comparison with the Quest 3 pancake lenses though the Quest 3s ones are clearly inferior. If your eyes are not perfectly in the sweet spot, you will see less of a clear image, especially if you are looking at text. The better Quest 3 lenses are much more forgiving as far as the position of the lenses is concerned. You will get a clear picture in a much bigger area and you will see less glare in high-contrast scenes, something that might be important if you would like to read text in VR for example.
But again, these are good Fresnel lenses and if your are mostly playing games or watching movies, they will do a good job!
FOV
The Field Of View is just the same as in Quest 2, so it is around 98° horizontally. That can be improved by getting your eyes closer to the displays by exchanging the original for a thinner face cover. So it is quite a standard FOV at this point in time. For comparison, the Quest 3 offers 110° horizontally.
Binocular Overlap
The binocular overlap though is better in the Quest 3s. This might actually be the only thing next to price where the Quest 3s beats its older brother. You simply got a better overlap here which makes viewing quite a bit more comfortable. The binocular overlap is the area that both eyes see at the same time. Our human binocular overlap is very high and responsible for a good 3d perception. That is actually the reason why some people felt a bit uncomfortable first when upgrading from Quest 2 to Quest 3. Those will probably love that Quest 3s will give them access to the better chip now while retaining the same good binocular overlap.
Passthrough
The new color passthrough obviously is a revelation as compared to the grainy black-white passthrough of the Quest 2. It can even compete with the Quest 3 pass-through. I could not see a big difference and that even though the sensors use a simpler and cheaper technology to determine depth in your actual environment. It all works well and opens the door to many exciting mixed reality applications. It’s truly a great feat to offer this kind of technology for a starting price of $299!
Comfort
Let’s get to the comfort. That was quite an issue with the original Quest 2 because it only came with a soft strap that would make the device feel quite front heavy because that’s where all the weight is. The same is true for the Quest 3s which weighs in at 514 gram. The supplied soft strap does a fantastic job when you want to lean back to watch a movie or use the device while on the go. But it is not the most comfortable solution for playing long sessions. The good thing is that Quest 3s is compatible with all of the Quest 3 head straps. So you could either buy the original Meta head straps that provide a better balance or go for a cheaper third party one. All of these solutions will greatly improve comfort.
In direct comparison with the Quest 3, the Quest 3s is less comfortable simply because it is heavier and sticks more out than the more modern Quest 3. So overall, we are faced with the Quest 2 situation again. Most customers will get an additional head strap that will vastly improve comfort.
Controllers & Tracking
The Quest 3s comes with the same new ringless Touch Pro controllers like the Quest 3. These controllers are of high quality and are basically the industry standard by now. They feel good in hand and a single AA battery can power them for days if not months. Having these great controllers being part of a $299 package that even contains a AAA game that normally retails for $50 feels like an impossible feat. Something that only Meta can pull off now in a bid to dominate the next computing platform as early as possible.
Tracking of both controllers and headset is just as good as we have already grown accustomed to by now. You won’t have any problems with it at all and you can control your games and the operating system as precisely as you’d hope for. Also hand-tracking works very well and you can also navigate your way through the game catalogue or the store by pinching and and dragging gestures. It is quite magical what kind of machine you are getting here for only $299. The future is truly now and we are getting to a point where this exciting technology is more and more part of the mainstream.
Audio & Mic
This is probably the shortest section of this review. Both audio and mic are fine. The built in loudspeakers get the job done. I didn’t feel the need to use headphones when playing games. Also watching movies worked well. In direct comparison though, Quest 3 speakers are a bit better. But hey, we are talking about a $299 device! For the mic, I couldn’t even make out a difference between this and the Quest 3 mic, it sounds really good and your online friends wouldn’t even know you are using such a cheap headset, you will sound really good!
Games & Compatibility
Thanks to the new Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 and the new mixed-reality capabilities, the Quest 3s can play all games that are available in the Quest store. That is great news for all new customers that were thinking to get an entry level headset but did not want to go for a Quest 2 because it simply could not play games that were exclusively developed for the Quest 3 platform. The Quest 3s solves this problem and it gives you access to the best VR standalone game store available. Meta is simply dominating this industry and has built an install base around the Quest ecosystem that makes it worth for developers to build games and apps for it and have those launch here first. You will find a vast array of all kinds of games, covering any genre you could think of. And there are of course also the exclusive games like Beat Saber, Asgard’s Wrath 2 or Batman, that the Quest 3s will give you access to for only $299. Oh yeah and Batman is of course included in the price, but this should be the third time that I mention it in this review. This is just a great package and playing games in the Quest 3s is simply a blast! If this is your first rodeo in VR, get ready to be blown away!
PCVR Streaming
On top of that, if you own a gaming PC the Quest 3s will also allow you to access PCVR games that you will not find in the Quest standalone catalogue. These games can be found in the SteamVR store and range from the incredible Half-Life: Alyx to enthusiast simming titles like Microsoft Flight Simulator or Assetto Corsa. You can play all these titles wirelessly and indeed the Quest 3s, just like the Quest 2 and Quest 3 is a very capable PCVR streaming headset. And all of that functionality is already baked into the operating system. For $299.
Spatial Computing
Gaming is not your thing and you are more interested in the spatial computing pitch that Apple is giving us with their Vision Pro? Well, actually the Quest 3s can do most of the same things! The Quest operating system got better and better over the years and by now you can also place interactive windows anywhere into your actual environment. That could be a web browser that shows you the latest crypto charts, your X timeline or you could watch Netflix on a huge virtual display. Of course you could also play your XBOX games on such a big virtual display and that actually works so well. You could even pair a wireless keyboard and mouse and either work web based with apple like Fluid or mirror your Mac or Windows desktop. It all works well, but without a doubt watching movies or playing games works better than reading text on the device because of the lens limitations that I mentioned earlier.
Conclusion
If you do not want to spend more than $299 for a VR headset, the Quest 3s is an absolute no-brainer. The value you get for this price point is insane and there is simply no competition. You get a capable VR headset that comes with the latest mobile processor giving you access to the entirety of the huge Quest library of games, including the new mixed-reality ones. You get a spatial computer that will allow you to enjoy movies and standard 2d games on huge virtual screens that float in your actual environment similar to what the Apple Vision Pro offers, but you get that for a fraction of the price. You even get a wireless PCVR headset should you own a gaming PC giving you access to Half-Life Alyx and other AAA games only available on Now on top of the already fantastic value, Meta even adds the latest Batman game to the package free of charge, another $50 value. And it doesn’t stop there. If you decide to purchase the device through the MRTV creator link from this website, Meta will even give you $30 of Quest store credit that you can use to buy any game you want. Just like that. So yeah, just go for it.
But what is the even better deal that I teased in the beginning of this video? Well, as you have learned throughout this review, the Quest 3s is a capable VR device. However, it is not state of the art. The Quest 3 is simply better and also came down in price quite a bit. The 512 GB version of the Quest 3 is now priced at 499$. Yes, that is 200$ more expensive than the 128GB version of the Quest 3s, but for that you simply get a much better VR headset. The Quest 3 has the better visuals thanks to the superior resolution of the two (!) displays, it has much better lenses that let you see a clearer picture from edge to edge, it is more comfortable thanks to its sleeker design and you get 4 times the amount of memory so you will not run out of space for games. So if you already know you love VR and can afford $200 more, I would recommend you to go for the Quest 3 instead. It also comes with Batman included and you will also get $30 of free Quest store credits if you purchase through the referral link. If you want to use this headset for the next 2 years until the Quest 4 comes out, you will pay less than $10 dollars more per month for just a superior experience in VR.
But again, if you only want to check out VR for the first time and do not want to spend more than $300 on a headset, the Quest 3s is the right headset to go for. And for the parents looking for a birthday or Christmas gift: is the Quest 3s good enough for your kids or must it be the Quest 3? I can tell you with confidence: the Quest 3s will be enough! Sorry kids!
I truly hope this review could provide value to you and could help you to make a more informed purchasing decision.
Oh and since we talked so much about great deals in this review! Do you want 10% off any Quest game? No problem, go to the MRTV Discord server and find the section 10% discount codes! There you will find MRTV links to the top games that will allow you to get them with 10 percent discount, link in the description below!
