Meta Quest 3S mixed reality headset was launched as an affordable option at the Connect event on Wednesday. It joins the Quest 3 in the company’s latest family of immersive experience devices and boasts features such as 4K Infinite+ displays, full-colour passthrough capabilities, and Meta Horizon OS rebuilt for spatial computing. It also gets capabilities powered by artificial intelligence (AI), courtesy of Meta AI. Alongside the Quest 3S, Meta also debuted Orion augmented reality glasses while also announcing a price drop on its Quest 3.
Meta Quest 3S price starts at $299.99 (roughly Rs. 25,000) for the 128GB storage model. It also comes in a 256GB configuration which costs $399.99 (roughly Rs. 33,000). The headset is already available for pre-order, with deliveries starting October 14.
The box of contents include the Meta Quest 3S headset, two Touch Plus controllers with wrist straps and AA batteries, a charging cable, and a power adapter. Customers can upgrade to the 256GB storage model to receive an additional app and game storage. It will also come with a complimentary copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow and three months of Meta Quest+ subscription.
They can also purchase accessories such as Elite Strap, Elite Strap with Battery, and Meta Quest Carrying Case, separately.
Meta Quest 3S comes with 4K+ Infinite displays on top of pancake lenses, with a resolution of 2064×2208 pixels per eye and a wider field of view. It includes a spacer for users wearing glasses and also provides Zenni MR Prescription Lenses. The mixed reality headset is powered by Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset with 8GB of RAM under the hood. It runs on Meta Horizon OS, which the company says has been rebuilt for spatial computing, and improves upon the features of the Quest 3 by providing better spatial audio and improved Passthrough’s contrast and colour. It also gets features like Dolby Atmos support and Theatre View.
The Quest 3S also gets better support for 2D apps like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Additionally, it can also be used in transit, courtesy of the inclusion of Travel Mode. This feature will also be expanded to work on trains in the future. Meta says the headset also supports its Meta AI assistant and it can be invoked by simply saying “Hey Meta”.
The mixed reality headset supports Meta’s existing library of apps and games, and it will also get exclusives like Batman: Arkham Shadow. Furthermore, games specifically enhanced for the Quest 3 will also work on the new Quest 3S.
