Introduction
Okay, so here we go with my Meta Quest 3S review. I've been using this headset for the past couple of weeks to test it out, so I feel like I've got a good understanding of all of its quirks and features. Well, it's certainly not without its flaws. If you've been waiting on the fence to finally jump into the world of VR, this is a fantastic entry headset to get you started that offers great value for money.
For disclosure, Meta provided this headset early and for free for me to check out on the channel, but as always, they don't get any say in this review, and they don't get to preview this video before it goes live. So, with that said, let's dive in!
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Price and Models
The Meta Quest 3S is available right now and comes in two models:
- The 128 GB model, which is $299 or £289 British.
- The 256 GB model, which is $399 or £379 British.
Everyone that orders a Quest 3S or Quest 3 between now and April next year will get Batman Arkham Shadow for free when it launches on the 22nd of October. To make this deal even better, if you use my affiliate link in the description below, I get a small kickback, and you'll get $30 credit added to your account to spend on the Meta store.
Unboxing
Cracking the box open, inside you get:
- The Meta Quest 3S headset itself.
- A power adapter.
- A 1-meter USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
- A glasses spacer if you want to wear glasses in the headset.
- A pair of Quest Touch Plus controllers (the same controllers that ship with the Quest 3).
- A quick start guide and warranty information.
The Quest 3S setup process is super simple. You just need to download the Meta Horizon app on your phone, create a Meta account using an email address (thankfully, long gone are the days where you had to use a Facebook account), and then follow the simple step-by-step instructions.
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Specs
Let's get into the specs. The Quest 3S uses the same display and Fresnel lenses found in its older brother, the Quest 2. The Quest 3S has a single LCD panel running a resolution of 1832 by 1920 pixels per eye, with a horizontal field of view of around 96°. For comparison, the more expensive Quest 3 has dual LCD panels running a resolution of 2064 by 2208 pixels per eye, with a horizontal field of view of around 110°.
The older Fresnel lenses found in the Quest 3S have these concentric rings in them. They suffer from slightly more glare in contrasting scenes and have a smaller sweet spot when compared to the huge pancake lenses found in the Quest 3. But that's why the Quest 3 is $200 more expensive.
While the design of the Quest 3S is slightly different, the overall form factor is exactly the same as the Quest 2. In terms of weight, it's 11g heavier than the Quest 2 and 1g lighter than the Quest 3, coming in at 514g in total.
Two key differences with the Quest 3S are that it has a dedicated pass-through button to switch between VR and pass-through mode, which is really nice, and the 3.5mm headphone jack has been completely removed (more on that later).
The biggest improvements of the Quest 3S over the Quest 2 are that it shares the same faster Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor found in the Quest 3, and it has a new camera array featuring full-color pass-through cameras for mixed reality content.
Mixed Reality
Just like the Quest 3, the color pass-through quality on the 3S is very good. While there's still a bit of warping with movement, I could clearly read text on my phone, which is impressive. While I wasn't initially sold on mixed reality a year ago when the Quest 3 launched, I'm certainly warming up to it now, and honestly, I actually prefer to start my play sessions in pass-through over the virtual home environment.
We're now starting to see some really cool use cases for MR, such as being able to have your very own virtual pool table in games like Miracle Pool, where you can pop up and play solo or with friends anywhere in the world. We also have full MR games now, such as Starship Home, where you can convert your room into a spaceship, explore the galaxy, and collect strange plants and creatures. If you're old enough to remember the movie Flight of the Navigator, it has very similar vibes.
Mixed reality also has the ability to truly terrify players. Imagine inviting hordes of spiders into your room with this experimental project that I'm working on called Panic Room, which is coming soon.
Comfort
Moving on, let's talk about comfort. The Quest 3S uses the same three-step IPD system as the Quest 2. IPD is essentially the distance between your eyes, and it's vitally important to have it set correctly for a clear and comfortable experience. I have to say, when testing the 3S, I struggled to get used to this three-step system again, as I was so used to the precise granular IPD slider found on the Quest 3.
One good thing about the 3S lenses being exactly the same as the Quest 2 is that if you've invested in prescription lens inserts for the Quest 2, I can confirm that these will fit perfectly in the Quest 3S.
All Quest 3S headsets ship with this soft material headstrap. It's okay and gets the job done, but I find that these tend to get super uncomfortable after around 20 minutes of play. Now, I'm not sponsored by BoboVR, but I've been using their replacement headstraps for years now, and the Quest 3S uses the same head strap as the Quest 3. So, if you find yourself looking for an alternative, both the Bobo M3 Pro and S3 Pro are fantastic options. They also happen to extend the battery life of the headset from the base 2 hours I got in my testing with these magnetic hot-swappable batteries.
Gaming
Testing the 3S with some of my favorite standalone and PCVR games, it handled them like a champ. You can connect the Quest 3S to a powerful gaming PC using a Link cable or connect wirelessly using Air Link, Steam Link, or Virtual Desktop. This allows you to play high-fidelity VR games from SteamVR, like this amazing underwater exploration game called Subside. It's super relaxing to play and looks incredible in VR. And of course, a must-play VR title if you have access to a high-end gaming PC is Half-Life: Alyx. It still serves as one of the best VR titles available today.
Moving on from PCVR to standalone Quest games, I played the beautiful Red Matter 2. It has some enhancements for Quest 3 and 3S, which makes it one of the best-looking games available on the platform. I highly recommend it if you want to see just how good standalone games can look on the Quest 3S.
I also played Arizona Sunshine 2, where you can roam the post-apocalyptic wasteland with Buddy the dog as your companion to take down swarms of the undead. Some people in the comments asked in my last video if the Quest 3S can run games better than the Quest 3, as it has a lower resolution display, putting less stress on the processor. But I have to be honest, I didn't see any evidence of that throughout all my testing.
We have some really exciting new games coming soon that can only be played on Quest 3 and Quest 3S, such as Batman Arkham Shadow and Alien: Rogue Incursion. And I'm pretty sure this is just the beginning.
Audio
Now, let's talk about audio. One of my biggest gripes with the Quest 3S is the complete removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack. I thought maybe the reason they removed the jack was because they had improved the Bluetooth latency, but sadly, that's just not the case. The Bluetooth audio still suffers from the same 1-second latency as Meta's other headsets, making it completely unusable.
Now, I might be in the minority here, as most players will likely just use the built-in speakers, but as someone that uses headphones all the time in VR, I think this is a massive oversight from Meta. You can get around this by using a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, but then you can't charge the headset at the same time.
Moving on to a more positive note, though, this is what the microphone sounds like: "This is a quick audio test. This is what the microphone sounds like on the Meta Quest 3S."
Accessories
Before I wrap this up, I want to do a quick-fire round of some of the accessories I tested with the 3S:
- Breathable Facial Interface: I really like the soft material on the face pad, and I do like the way that it looks, but it lets in far too much light from the sides. So, while it's good for fitness apps, it's not so good for general VR use.
- Compact Charging Dock: I actually really like this, as it works well with both the Quest 3 and 3S. It comes with rechargeable batteries for the controllers, meaning you can just place them in the cradles to charge them.
- Anker Soundcore Earbuds: These work really well with the Quest 3S. So, if like me, you're annoyed about the lack of a headphone jack, these are a great audio option, and you can charge the headset at the same time with the wireless audio transmitter installed.
Links to all this stuff are in the description below if you need them.
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Conclusion
So, here's my conclusion:
- If you already own a Quest 3, the Quest 3S isn't for you. You've already got the best Quest headset available right now.
- If you're new to VR, the Quest 3S is the perfect entry to VR. You have years of great VR games to catch up on, and you have some amazing new titles coming soon.
- If you're solely a PCVR player using a Quest 2, the display and lenses are the same, so you'll get no benefit using a Quest 3S. The Quest 3 is going to be the upgrade for you.
- Finally, if you're a Quest 2 owner and you want to play the latest Quest 3 exclusive games like Batman and Alien, and also try mixed reality content, the Quest 3S is a fine choice. But personally, I would recommend you skip the 3S entirely, save some extra money, and go for the Quest 3 instead, especially now that the 512 GB model has been reduced in price.
While the Quest 3 is $200 more than the 3S, it has a more compact form factor, a headphone jack, granular IPD adjustment, higher resolution displays, and incredible pancake lenses.
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