Quest 3S release date, price, specs and expected upgrades
The Quest 3S is an upcoming, budget-friendly variant of Meta's celebrated Quest 3 mixed reality headset.
Initially, rumors about a Quest 3S first surfaced when reports came in about a partnership between Meta and Tencent. The ultimate goal of the coalition would be to create a budget-friendly, yet powerful headset, which could be released in China, where Meta's services are currently prohibited.
That, in turn, created a great opportunity for both Tencent and Meta: the first could have a solid VR headset, that could contend in the XR market, while the latter would return to having some presence in China. This is especially important given that the Vision Pro is also expected to launch in China later this year.
In contrast, however, recent behavior from Meta suggests that the Quest 2 is on a clearance sale. At the same time, even if the Quest 2 is performing admirably for it's age, there's no question about it: it is starting to become a bit outdated.
Ultimately, Meta does need a different piece of hardware to replace the Quest 2 as an entry-level VR headset. As such, the Quest 3S in concept, makes for a tempting proposition not only for the company, but for the end user as well.
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Also read:
- Quest 3S vs Quest 3: which VR headset to buy, and how much of a downgrade is the 3S?
- Meta Quest 4 release date predictions, price, specs, and our wishlist
Quest 3S release date
As officially announced during Meta Connect 2024, on September 25th, the Meta Quest 3S will be launching on October 15th, for a base price of $299.
Quest 3S price
Given that Meta recently decreased the Quest 2's price, effectively announcing a clearance sale for it, it was reasonable to expect that the Quest 3S's price point would float somewhere around the price of the Quest 2.
Here's the official Quest 3S price for the base-storage model, compared against what else is there:
| Price: | |
|---|---|
| Quest 3 launch price: | $499 |
| Quest 2 launch price: | $399 |
| Quest 2 adjusted price: | $299 |
| Quest 2 price after final discount: | $199 |
| Quest 3S launch price: | $299 |
Since the Quest 3S would have a dual purpose: to replace and outperform the Quest 2, it would make sense for its price to be:
- Higher than the Quest 2's lowest price
- Lower than the Quest 3's price
That being said, you should keep in mind that VR apps and games are getting more demanding in terms of storage requirements. As such, the price above will likely be for a base model, which for Meta means 128GB.
Here's an overview of the different prices when it comes to storage configuration variants among Meta's products:
| Quest 2 (128GB) on launch: | $299 |
| Quest 2 (256GB) on launch: | $399 |
| Quest 3 (128GB): | $499 |
| Quest 3 (512GB): | $649 |
| Quest 3S (128GB): | $299 |
| Quest 3S (256GB): | $399 |
Quest 3S design
The Meta Quest 3S features a design that somewhat reverts back to the Quest 2 with a more bucket-like shape, less akin to the sleeker Quest 3.
Its front cameras and sensors are in a new arrangement from what we've seen on the Quest 3 - instead of vertically-arranged in pill-shaped modules.
Regardless, the Meta Quest 3S is still a plastic headset, with seemingly identical head straps and face cover as the ones before it, so it should feel right at home to those upgrading from the Quest 2.
Specs of the Quest 3S
While we don't know much about the Quest 3S in terms of specs yet, we do know what purpose it would have in Meta's ecosystem. It would have to ease users in into XR, meaning that it must be more affordable, while still being powerful enough to tackle spatial computation and MR.
Based on that logic, we suspect that the Quest 3S could end up having specs like these:
| Display: | LCD, Full HD+ or 2K |
| Resolution: | 1920×1080 or 2048×1080 |
| Refresh rate: | 90Hz |
| FOV: | 110 horizontal and 96 vertical |
| IPD range: | 53-75 mm |
| Processor: | Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 |
| RAM: | 8GB |
| Storage variants: | 128GB and 256GB, possibly 512GB |
| Battery: | 2 hours of use |
| Wi-Fi: | Wi-Fi 6E enabled |
| Backwards compatibility: | Yes |
| PC VR: | Yes |
| Eye-tracking: | No |
| IOBT: | Yes |
*Quest 3 Lite specifications are fully speculative and based on rumors and leaks: this is not official information.
Features and software of the Quest 3S
The Quest 3S needs to be "less capable" than the Quest 3 itself in order for it to fulfill its purpose. Mixed reality, however, is on the rise and it will likely play a larger role in our future to come.
Not only that, but AI is becoming a central focus for all manner of tech, even when not put front and center. This means that even features that aren't subject to the user's direct control or observation might very well utilize AI in order to work. For example, some of the most impressive features on the Quest 3 utilize AI for that same goal.
This could mean two things for the Quest 3S:
- It would need a current-gen processor
- It would require a lot of RAM
That, if true, could mean the following for this allegedly upcoming headset:
- It will support passthrough of quality comparable to the Quest 3 (this has been somewhat confirmed)
- It will have spatial computing capabilities, including augments
- It will utilize cutting-edge Meta-made features like inside-out-body-tracking for added value
From what we know and have seen, we can reasonably speculate that:
- The primary difference between the Quest 3 and Quest 3S will be all about screen quality, not capability or performance (they share the same processor, which is good news)
- The Quest 3S will be able to run all manner of apps and games, just not at highest possible settings and resolutions
- The Quest 3S might have limitations in place regarding the number of MR objects it could support at any given time
But that being said, most of this is highly speculative. Not only because the Quest 3S isn't even announced yet, but because Meta's MR-based widgets, known as Augments, are still not released as of April of 2024 (the time of writing).
Should you wait for the the Quest 3S?
So, the Quest 3S is an upcoming budget-friendly variant of the Quest 3, and it's coming very soon, in October 2024. Should you wait for it?
You should wait for the Quest 3S to release if: you aren't invested in VR yet and you don't already have a Quest 2 or Quest 3. Since the Quest 3S will be notably more powerful than the Quest 2, it is a lot more reasonable for you to wait out it's release and get it when it's available, instead of getting a discounted Quest 2 right now.
You should not wait for the Quest 3S if: you already own the Quest 3, an Apple Vision Pro or another high-grade headset. Given that the Quest 3S primary goal will be to serve as an entry-level XR product, if you already own another powerful XR headset, getting a lesser product simply doesn't make sense for you.
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