I finally got my hands on the Meta Quest 3S VR headset to test it out for our in-depth Meta Quest 3S review, and using the headset has given me flashbacks of using the Oculus Quest 2 – and made me realize how rubbish the images were this whole time.
The Meta Quest 3S uses the same chipset and has the same RAM as the Meta Quest 3, meaning it can play the same VR games and apps as its sibling, like the upcoming Batman: Arkham Shadow (it even comes with a free copy of the game). But the most noticeable downgrade is the displays. Instead of the Quest 3’s sharp 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye dual display setup, you’ll have to make do with the Quest 2’s 1832 x 1920 per eye single display setup, which the Quest 3S repurposes.
The Meta Quest 3S also relies on the Quest 2’s Fresnel lens system instead of the pancake lenses used by the Quest 3. I won’t go into how these lenses are technically different, but know that Fresnel lenses are bulkier and cause blur at the edges of your field of view.
The Quest 3 is worth upgrading to
When I regularly used my Oculus Quest 2 – which was later renamed Meta Quest 2 – I definitely noticed that the images weren’t as sharp as watching a show on my phone or playing a game with my PS5 on a 4K tv . But I also often felt like people who were overly critical of the resolution or the screen door effect were being too harsh (the screen door effect is when you see black lines across the screen because you can see the gaps between the pixels).
I had a blast with it and felt (and still feel) that it was hands down the best VR headset for most people at its peak, thanks to its solid performance for its super low price.
But then the Oculus Quest 2 was my baseline for VR headsets; I’d never used another headset before – aside from the odd demo at a gaming convention or college fair. Now that my baseline is the superior Meta Quest 3, I finally understand everyone’s visual criticism of Quest 2.
That’s not to say the Meta Quest 3S isn’t an excellent VR headset for the price. Starting at $299.99 / £289.99 / AU$499.99 for the 128GB model and achieving what the Meta Quest 3S achieves is nothing to sniff at. If you’re new to VR and haven’t been spoiled by better VR headsets, the issues won’t be as noticeable or annoying.
However, when weighing your options between the two Meta Quest 3 headsets, keep in mind that it’s not just a matter of choosing your preferred storage size, there are some other important differences to consider.
Top-end image quality won’t be of interest to everyone, and when you’re immersed in an interactive experience, the Quest 3S’s shortcomings aren’t as noticeable. Keep in mind that if you plan on being a VR power user who drops in at least a few times a week, and want to enjoy Netflix or Xbox game streaming in VR or MR, then the sharper Meta Quest 3 is the headset to go with. you should get .
So if you can find the 128GB Meta Quest 3 before it sells out, try to get your hands on it before the discontinued model is gone for good and you have to make do with the more expensive 512GB model.