Meta has announced a more affordable version of its Meta Quest 3 mixed-reality and VR headset with the new Quest 3S. Starting from $299.99 USD for the 128GB model ($399.99 for the 256GB version), the new Quest 3S is positioned as an upgrade or direct follow-up to the popular Meta Quest 2 by hitting the same price point.

Featuring the same Snapdragon processor as the Quest 3, the Quest 3S's performance will be identical when playing games and firing up various apps. Before the announcement, rumors pointed to Meta removing the headset's mixed-reality and video passthrough features to keep costs down - however, that's not the case.
The Meta Quest 3S includes six front-facing cameras like the Quest 3, albeit arranged in a different formation. According to reports, the Quesr 3S uses cheaper lenses than the mainline Quest 3, which is one way it has kept the cost down. Although the press release doesn't include full specs for the new Quest 3S, it does note that the cut-down headset lacks the state-of-the-art 4K pancake lenses as the baseline model and features a smaller field of view.
The per-eye resolution decreases to 1,832 x 1,920 pixels.

The Quest 3S benefits from all the updates made to Meta Horizon OS and various VR and mixed-reality apps, including the new Theater View mode for streaming content via apps like Netflix and Prime Video. On the game side, it arrives in time for the Meta Quest exclusive Batman: Arkham Shadow game, which looks impressive. A free copy comes with all Quest 3S headsets.
In addition to announcing the low-cost Meta Quest 3S, the company is also dropping the flagship 512GB Meta Quest 3 price from $649.99 down to $499.99.