Meta launches Quest 3S, a more affordable virtual reality headset

Since Mark Zuckerberg's firm makes a point of doing things differently, the Meta Connect 2024 conference held on September 25, 2024 was not broadcast on YouTube, but rather exclusively on Facebook. This event was an opportunity for Meta to unveil its advances in the field of virtual reality and augmented reality. Thus, in addition to the revelation of its very first real augmented reality glasses (if we decide to consider that the Ray-Ban Meta do not belong to the category), the Meta Orion, Mark Zuckerberg was also able to present his new virtual reality headset, the Meta Quest 3S.

A more affordable helmet to cut the grass under the competition

Rumors about him had been circulating for quite some time.and here it is now official! Don't expect any graphical improvements or technical revolution for this new headset: its interest is rather hidden in its accessibility and its price. The Meta Quest 3S will indeed be available for 329 euros here (and 300 dollars in the USA). Inevitably, such a price comes with some concessions, but these are minimal: in fact, the Meta Quest 3S has the same chip (Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2) and the same general capabilities as the Meta Quest 3, but has a screen with a lower resolution and a slightly more restricted field of vision.

Overall, these small concessions should not hinder the overall experience for the general public, especially in its mixed reality capabilities. And with this extremely competitive pricing, Meta obviously intends to cut the grass under Apple's feet, which seems light years away with its €3,999 for its Vision Pro (a cost more than 10 times higher than a Meta Quest 3S!). To simplify its ranges of virtual reality headsets, Meta is also cutting production of the Meta Quest 2 and Quest Pro, leaving only the Quest 3 and 3S duo in charge for the near future.