After a series of leaks, Meta finally took the wraps off the Quest 3S today at Connect, detailing all the reasons why it thinks Quest and Quest 2 owners should upgrade to the company's latest and now most affordable mixed reality headset. Here's the breakdown:
In terms of specs, the Quest 3S sits somewhere between the 2020-era Quest 2 and the 2023-era Quest 3, specifically replacing the monochrome toggle sensor and previous-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset with full-color sensors and the same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 as in the Quest 3.
NotesIf you're looking for a longer review, be sure to check out our hands-on review to learn more about the Quest 3S and what sets it apart from the rest of the Quest lineup.
Scroll to the bottom of the article to see the side-by-side spec sheet.
As you might expect, using the same chipset and offering color grading will give users access to not only the back catalogue of Quest games, but also mixed reality games and exclusive games designed for use from the Quest 3 onwards.
But to reach that magical $300 price point (the 128GB model), it relies on older Fresnel lenses and the same resolution screen as the Quest 2. At least in terms of resolution, the gap between the Quest 2 and Quest 3 isn't that big, so it's a pretty understandable lag.
This means we're once again seeing a variation of the 1,832×1,920 (20ppd) LCD display with a 96-degree horizontal field of view (FOV), as seen on the page below. For comparison, the Quest 3 offers dual 2,064×2,208 (4.5MP) LCD displays, a newer pancake lens design, and a 110-degree horizontal FOV.
With the face interfaces removed, Meta touts the Quest 3S as “20 percent thinner” than the Quest 2, while the Quest 3 claims: 30% thinnerdue to the inclusion of panning lenses.
Oddly enough, the Quest 3S is launching with the same storage options as the Quest 2: 128GB and 256GB—something that was considered too small for the Quest 3, which is discontinuing the 128GB version, leaving just 512GB to choose from. Yes, pricing and availability for the older models have changed a bit. Check out our full breakdown of what's staying and what's not.
| Task 2 | Task 3S | Task 3 | |
Images |
|||
| View | 1×LCD | 1×LCD | 2×LCD |
| Resolution (per eye) | 1,832 × 1,920 (3.5MP) | 1,832 × 1,920 (3.5MP) | 2,064 × 2,208 (4.5MP) |
| Pixels Per Degree | 20 days | 20 days | 25 Days |
| Maximum Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Optical | Fresnel | Fresnel | Observation |
| Field of view | 96ºH × 90ºV | 96ºH × 90ºV | 110ºH × 96ºV |
| Transitional view | Black & White (4 PPD) | Color (18 PPD) | Color (18 PPD) |
| Optical Adjustments | Gradual IPD eye relief (with included spacer) |
Gradual IPD eye relief (with included spacer) |
Continuous IPD, gradual eye relief (internal) |
| IPD Setting Range | 58mm, 63mm, 68mm | 58mm, 63mm, 68mm | 53–75mm |
Performance and IO |
|||
| Processor | Snapdragon XR2 1st Gen | Snapdragon XR2 2nd Gen | Snapdragon XR2 2nd Gen |
| Data warehouse | 6GB | 8GB | 8GB |
| To store | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB | 512GB (128GB was available before) |
| Connection | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth | unknown (probably Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth) | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth |
| Connectors | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C Contact pads for optional dock |
| Entrance | Touch v3 (AA battery 1×) hand tracking, voice |
Touch Plus (AA battery 1×) hand tracking, voice |
Touch Plus (AA battery 1×) hand tracking, voice |
| Sound | Headband-mounted speakers 3.5mm aux output |
Headband-mounted speakers | Headband-mounted speakers 3.5mm aux output |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | 1.5–2.5 hours (3,640mAh) | 2.5 hours (4,324mAh) | 2.2 hours (5060mAh) |
| Weight | 503 grams | 514 grams | 515 grams |
Perception |
|||
| Headset tracking | Inside out (no external markings) | Inside out (no external markings) | Inside out (no external markings) |
| Supervisory monitoring | Watched with headphones (headset line of sight required) |
Watched with headphones (headset line of sight required) |
Watched with headphones (headset line of sight required) |
| Eye tracking | NO | NO | NO |
| Expression monitoring | NO | NO | NO |
| In-car cameras | 4 × Infrared | 2×RGB, 4×IR 2×IR flood LED |
2×RGB, 4×IR |
| Depth sensor | NO | NO | Yes |
Price |
|||
| Suggested Retail Price | $300 (128GB), $350 (256GB) | $300 (128GB), $400 (256GB) | $500 (512GB) |