New Insanely Powerful Budget-Friendly Meta Quest VR Headset was Released on October 15th and raised high praise from the public.
Comparison
Oculus, bought in 2014 by Meta, released one of the best VR headsets for its price, the Quest 3S, released on October 15th at the affordable price of $399.99 with 128GB of storage. This is the cheapest virtual reality headset created by Meta. For comparison, the Quest 2 sold for $449.99 but offered far fewer technologies, while the Quest 3 was extremely expensive, priced at $799.99.
Performance and Processor
All of Meta’s headsets have a built-in computer so it can work independently. The Quest 3S and Quest 3 have the same powerful processor, providing smoother gameplay and better graphics, while the Quest 2 has the first-gen processor.
Visuals and Display
Both the Quest 3S and Quest 2 have Fresnel lenses, providing only 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye, compared to the Quest 3, which has Pancake lenses that offer 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye. So, the resolution of the Quest 3 is slightly better than the Quest 3S. The high resolution makes gaming much more immersive because it feels like real life. Like the game Red Matter 2 that has close to life graphics.
Mixed Reality
A standout feature of the Quest 3S is its mixed reality capabilities, thanks to improved cameras and a color passthrough feature. This allows users to blend the virtual and real worlds seamlessly—an upgrade not present in the Quest 2.You may wonder what the purpose of this upgrade is, the mixed reality feature lets you play games in your own house. Like in the game Espire 2 that is very appreciated by the public with an evaluation of 4,2/5 stars, you are able to fight enemies spawning in your room. Many other games work with this feature; Home Invasion, Eleven Table Tennis, Special Ops, Hauntify, etc…
Battery
Even though the battery capacity of the Quest 3 is larger than the Quest 3s, its battery life is shorter due to the higher resolution display. The battery life of the Quest 3S is about 2 hours and 30 minutes, while the Quest 3 lasts about 2 hours and 15 minutes.
IR Illuminators
IR illuminators in the new Meta headset have been greatly improved, making the hand tracking work very well in almost complete darkness. While the IR emitters of the Quest 3 are still good, the Quest 3s is still ahead.
Possible Cons of VR
While you may think that you would instantly get a headache playing with the Quest 3S, the high resolution makes it smooth enough to keep motion sickness and disorientation at bay, ensuring you have the best experience. The only issue you might experience is neck pain due to its weight, which is still reasonable but could feel heavy for some people. “I have tried the Quest 1 and couldn’t play for more than 40 minutes before feeling really sick to my stomach, I also had a small headache and felt a little dizzy. To get better, I had to lie down. This is really irritating, because I couldn’t make any progress in my game in under 40 minutes,” as stated by Mr. Jean-Sébastien Gagnon. Thankfully, these effects are way less present in the Quest 2, Quest 3 and Quest 3S.
Specs
Meta’s new Oculus Quest 3S is the best you can get for your money. The Quest 3S has a powerful Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor with 8GB of RAM.
This new VR headset’s screen and lens resolution is 1832 x 1920 per eye, and it can handle up to 120Hz. The Fresnel lenses were used to cut the price down, and they are still pretty good except for the fact that “when you look at the edges, it’s blurry,” according to Samuel Gibbs.
The Field of View (FOV) of this VR headset is 96º horizontally and 90º vertically.
Verdict
The Quest 3S is worth it because it’s a great VR headset for its price and has many features that make it far superior than the Quest 2. Even though the Quest 3 is better, the best choice for a new VR player would be the Quest 3S.
