Meta has just launched its latest mixed-reality headset, the Meta Quest 3S. Essentially a budget alternative to the Quest 3, which the company introduced to the market almost a year ago, and its most affordable mixed-reality headset ever, Meta says its Quest 3S is suitable for those new to mixed reality, as well as those that have been waiting for a low-cost upgrade from the original Quest and Quest 2.
Same “brains” as the higher-end Quest 3 but with longer battery life
Despite being more affordable than the Quest 3, the Meta Quest 3S sports the same “brains” as its higher-end sibling. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip and is paired with 8GB of RAM. Storage-wise, it’s available in 128GB and 256GB options.
Fitted with a 4,324mAh battery, the Meta Quest 3S has an average run time of 2.5 hours, around 18 minutes longer than the higher-end Quest 3, which comes with a 4,879mAh battery.
Lower price, lower resolution displays
You might be wondering why the Meta Quest 3S has a smaller battery but yet longer battery life than the Quest 3. If you guessed it’s something to do with its display, well congratulations, you’re right.
The displays of the Meta Quest 3S have a resolution of 1832 x 1920 pixels for each eye, resulting in a pixel density count of 773ppi, along with a 120Hz refresh rate. The displays have a horizontal field of view of 96° and 90° vertical. Comparatively, the costlier Quest 3 is equipped with higher resolution displays, featuring 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye.
Sitting behind the display panels of the Quest 3S are fresnel lenses, which are thicker than the pancake lens system found in the Quest 3. This can cause the image to appear a little less sharp around the fringes.
Also included with the Quest 3S are the same 4MP RGB 18ppd cameras for mixed reality as the Quest 3. However, the Quest 3S comes without a hardware depth sensor.
In terms of size, the Meta Quest 3S is a tad bit larger than the Quest 3, though still 20% slimmer than the Quest 2, according to Meta. The Quest 3S measures 514g, 1g lighter than the Quest 3.
Meta Quest 3S runs on the new Meta Horizon OS
The Quest 3S runs on the brand’s latest Meta Horizon OS, which has been further refined and is now better optimised for spatial computing. It’s now made with better support for 2D apps such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Meta has also added better spatial audio into the Meta Quest 3S and has improved the contrast and colour on the Passthrough feature, making it more realistic and immersive.
Meta Quest 3S global pricing. Quest 3 pricing slashed
In terms of pricing, the Meta Quest 3S can be had from USD299.99 (approx. RM1,240) onwards, which will get you the 128GB model. The 256GB model on the other hand costs slightly more at USD399.99 (approx. RM1,652). This mixed-reality headset will be made available starting on the 15th of October 2024.
Additionally, Meta has also announced that it has slashed the price of the Quest 3 headset from USD650 (approx. RM2,680) to just USD500 (approx. RM2,064). However, the Meta Quest series of products aren’t officially sold here in Malaysia. Therefore, if you want to get a taste of mixed reality, you can get your hands on the Pico 4 Ultra which has just been launched in Malaysia recently, priced at RM2,799.
Meta Quest 3S: Meta introduces its cheapest mixed reality headset, starting price below RM1,300
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