Mr Viral
The Meta Quest 3 that came out last year was an excellent VR headset.
Its superb visuals, light headset and cable free mixed-reality gaming set it apart from more basic rivals.
But it’s a costly machine for many.
So Meta has now brought out the Quest 3S, which is a cheaper but relatively similar headset.
Coming in at £290, the unit is around £200 cheaper than the main machine’s flagship 512GB model.
This of course leads to cutbacks in the technology.
But Meta has done a marvellous job at still delivering a superb gadget for the price with only visuals and headset weight noticeably different.
If you’re a VR newcomer, this is the unit for you.
The 3S, on the surface, looks practically identical to its big brother with only an alternate camera design on the front really indicating a change.
Internally, the chipsets are the same too.
The headset comes with two hand wands in the box
They’re a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 built directly into the headset which does away with the need for a tethered cable, like the PSVR2 for example.
As such all you need is a wi-fi connection and you’re up and running with the whole computer shebang inside.
It allows a freedom of movement which really lifts the restriction on gaming and household use.
I found myself very quickly using the amazing pass-through camera technology to wander freely around the home, up and down the stairs on the hunt for my wi-fi code without the need to remove the headset at all.
Once up and running you get access to the huge Meta VR app and gaming library.
Hundreds and hundreds of titles built up over years are there to buy, with many available free, at least for trials.
That immense library means you’ve got all of the best that virtual reality has to offer currently, many months of entertainment at the touch of a button.
And the Quest’s notable mixed-reality gimmick really feels like a game changer as you’re able to set up virtual screens in your living room while still seeing everything in the real world around you at the same time.
It’s a stunning piece of tech and shows how, in the near future, we’ll all be interacting in a world of both virtual objects and apps alongside the actual physical life we lead – all in real time.
Proper sci-fi stuff.
It’s slightly bulkier than the bigger brother unit
The headset of the 3S felt a little bulkier than its predecessor when worn.
But not dramatically so.
And the change in lenses, from the 3’s crystal clear edge-to-edge ‘Pancake’ tech to a cheaper ‘Fresnel’ set, meant that imagery is sadly blurrier towards the edges of vision.
That’s a shame because games and worlds do seem to fuzz at the edges on the 3S where the field of vision simply stayed more visible on the pricier headset.
Gone too is the adjustable scrolling wheel at the bottom of the unit to sharpen visuals to your individual eyes.
Instead there’s a more basic slide movement to the lenses themselves, which doesn’t deliver the same clarity.
Two hidden spatial audio speakers are positioned within the headband of the device to push excellent clarity into your ears, meaning no need for restrictive earphones.
The 3S comes with 128GB of internal memory, which is a decent amount for those looking to use the device regularly.
But it might not be enough for those seeking greater use of their Quest, and I’d recommend the much larger storage in the costlier unit if you are looking to download loads of apps and games for heavy use.
There’s around two and a half hours in a headset charge and it’s simple to plug in a USB-C charger.
You can have all kinds of virtual screens in your living room
The 3S, like it’s big brother, comes with two handheld controllers in the box and they’re excellent wands that really allow you to shoot, jump, climb and interact your way through all the best VR games out there.
Even then, the hand tracking tech allows for you to ditch controllers completely and grab virtual screens and type on pretend keyboards that aren’t really there, all with you own fingers.
Again it’s Star Trek-style stuff this.
The Meta Quest 3S delivers a much lower price point while maintaining most of the amazing technology of its bigger brother.
The biggest loss is ultimately of visual clarity at the peripheral edges of vision. But even that isn’t a deal breaker.
But if you’re a more casual VR user who can’t justify the best part of £500, this is a great device that’ll give you pretty much everything you want with little compromise for a lot less.
VERDICT 5/5
