Meta Quest 3S review: a budget-friendly and surprisingly capable standalone VR headset
Table of Contents
The Meta Quest 3S has a lot going for it, and has proven to be one of the most popular VR options on the market today. With the holiday season fast approaching, I wanted to put the Meta Quest 3S through its paces and see if it’s worthy of being wish-listed this year, and if it gives as much bang for your buck as it’s meant to.
- Type: Standalone
- Resolution: 1,832 x 1,920 (per eye)
- FOV: 96°H/90°V
- Refresh Rate: 120Hz
- Storage: 256GB
- Battery: 4,324 mAh/2.5-hour
- SOC: Snapdragon XR2 Gen2
- DRAM: 8GB
- Lens Type: Fresnel lens
- Weight: 513g
The Meta Quest 3S is a surprisingly worthy VR headset that ticks all the right boxes. Its affordability and standalone nature make it an appealing entry into the ecosystem, and it boasts excellent guidance and usability that make it a joy to use. Both the build quality and number of features are excellent for the price, and while its lenses may not be the best you can get on the market, it’s a no-brainer for anyone who wants to dive into VR and stick to a budget.
- Very affordable VR headset
- Comfortable to wear in general
- Runs fast and smoothly, even over the network
- Good guidance and features interface
- Fantastic controller design and tracking of them or your hands
- Graphics are not the best quality
- Lens spacing at preset distances, not free-range
- The adjustable strap can be fiddly and sometimes sits relatively high up, dependent on hairstyle
- Requires a Meta Account and phone app to set up
Specifications
| Meta Quest 3s | Meta Quest 3 | Meta Quest Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOC | Snapdragon XR2 Gen2 | Snapdragon XR2 Gen2 | Snapdragon XR2+ Gen1 |
| DRAM | 8GB | 8GB | 12GB |
| Base storage | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB | 256GB |
| Resolution | 1832×1920 | 773 PPI | 20 PPD | 2,064×2,208 | 1,218 PPI | 25 PPD | 1800 × 1920 | 1058 PPI | 22 PPD |
| Refresh Rate | 72Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz | 72Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz | 72Hz, 90Hz |
| FOV | 96°H/90°V | 110°H/96°V | 106°H/96°V |
| Optics | Fresnel lens, 3-position IAD adjust 100% of sRGB | Pancake lens, continuous IAD 100% of sRGB | Pancake lens, continuous IAD with slider 129% of sRGB |
| Tracking | Hand | Hand | Face/Eye and hand |
| Controllers | Hybrid tracking Non-rechargeable | Hybrid tracking Non-rechargeable | 3 Camera self-tracked Rechargeable |
| Pass through fidelity | Color (4 MP, 18 PPD) | Color (4 MP, 18 PPD) | Color (1 MP, 8 PPD) |
| Charging | Charge cable | Charge cable | Charge cable and dock |
| Base storage | 4,324 mAh/2.5-hour runtime | 5,060 mAh/2.2-hour runtime | 5,348 mAh/2.5-hour runtime |
| Weight | 513g | 515g | 722g |
Comparing the specs, we see the differences between the various Quest VR headsets. From the get-go, it’s easy to spot the variances and tiers each occupies, along with their price points. Of the three, the Quest 3S is the entry-level option but still has some features that take swings at the upper-tier specs.
The VR CPU featured on the 3S is the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, created and optimized for mobile processing and blending mixed reality. It has 8GB of memory and a storage capacity of 128 or 256GB, which is not too much different from the standard Quest 3.
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Where it starts to differ is in the lenses used and their specs. It now has Fresnel lenses with a resolution of 1832×1920, resulting in 773 pixels per inch, or 20 pixels per degree. Alongside the lower resolution, it also has a lower field of view, reaching 96° horizontally and 90° vertically. Aside from losing some fidelity, you get to enjoy the higher refresh rate of the lenses, as they can reach up to 120Hz, which is essential for a smooth experience.
Meta Quest 3S headset lenses, Image by PC Guide
Meta Quest 3S controllers, Image by PC Guide
With all the cameras on the front, made for the passthrough and seeing your controllers, the 3S can track just your hands and the controllers. Utilizing a hybrid mode of computer vision and machine learning can give a good idea of where the objects to track are. But the controllers aren’t rechargeable and instead opt for AA batteries instead. Not great, but not a complete deal-killer.
Depending on how much you use it, you’ll likely have to charge it quite often, as its rated runtime is 2.5 hours, and that seems to fly by when you’re immersed in it. It charges up quickly, so it won’t be the most extended break you need to take. For me, it charged up from around 25% to complete within an hour with the included USB-C charger.
Design
The unboxing experience is straightforward; it offers an eco-friendly, easy-to-follow solution. The cardboard box containing the headset slides out from the outer information sleeve, unfolding to reveal the entire contents. The headset, controllers, and extras are nestled into a tray, along with a guide on proceeding with the device before you even open the instructions.
The general design of the Quest 3S is a white pill-shaped device; the front features six cameras, tracking parts, and an ambient light sensor. The bottom has two additional cameras on the edges; the volume controls, and a button to toggle your environment, either passthrough or virtual. The only other control on the headset is the power button on the left-hand side, right up against the strap, which also hosts the charging port.
Meta Quest 3S controller face, Image by PC Guide
Meta Quest 3S controller side on, Image by PC Guide
Meta Quest 3S headset back strap, Image by PC Guide
Meta Quest 3S headset bottom controls, Image by PC Guide
Meta Quest 3S headset bottom, Image by PC Guide
Meta Quest 3S headset cameras, Image by PC Guide
Meta Quest 3S headset face foam, Image by PC Guide
Meta Quest 3S headset front, Image by PC Guide
Meta Quest 3S headset left side, Image by PC Guide
Meta Quest 3S headset strap, Image by PC Guide
Meta Quest 3S in box, Image by PC Guide
The pivoting straps coming out of the headset are rather stiff, but that’s because they contain various electronics, including the embedded speakers, which can be found above and below on both sides. The strap becomes more elasticated after the plastic part passes the facial interface, making it much easier to fit around any head size. A top strap is held on with Velcro, and its length can be adjusted while the back tightens by sliding apart the loops holding in the top strap.
The cushion has enough padding to keep it comfortable and does not push the plastic into your face. The padded part is also easy to remove, and there’s also a spacer for users who wear glasses, like myself. I wear quite thick frames and lenses and did find it a little uncomfortable over time, but nothing you wouldn’t expect if you’ve used VR headsets before.
That may be because the lenses come out quite far forward, trying to get as close to your eyes as possible and give you the best look, but at a detriment to glasses users. The separation can also be adjusted depending on your own eyes, and it is relatively simple to do, even with the headset on, so you can quickly see the difference when sliding them across.
Price
The Quest 3S was released in mid-October 2024, giving the line-up a more budget-friendly version. Its official MSRP was $299.99/£289.99, making it $200/£180 cheaper than the standard 3 model and much less than the Pro. That makes it relatively affordable for a standalone VR headset and some of the lowest in the market.
There’s nothing that matches that, especially as a standalone option. The Meta Quest range is cheaper than the expensive Apple Vision Pro. The Pico 4 VR headset is a close competitor, but with little availability in the US it’s not a viable options for many.
Other popular options, like the Sony PSVR2 or Valve Index, require plugging into another computing device and are still more expensive.
Usability and performance
Out of the box, it’s pretty quick to get going. Booting up the device and adjusting it to your head takes no time. Then, going through the setup was intuitive, with controls and guidance. It requires you to download the Meta Horizon phone app to pair with a headset and log into a Meta account after connecting to your WiFi, the passthrough of which is just about good enough to read off my phone.
After that, you can go through other settings, including setting up the boundary you play in. It can be room-scale, where you outline the safe space, or a sitting one if you don’t have all the space. It’s a great solution, but not every app or game supports setting modes, so you must be aware of your surroundings.
There is also a tutorial on how to use the controllers, headset, and menu to navigate the environment. You can be in your own space via the passthrough, with the menus floating around (that can be moved where you want), or into a virtual space for complete immersion.
You can access the various apps on the Meta platform there. That includes some streaming ones, like Netflix, if you want to watch videos on your headset or the various games you can get. Including First Hand encounters is an excellent way to get you accustomed to the sort of things you can do on the headset. I tried First Hand and enjoyed the storytelling and mix of tasks to get used to using the device.
FitXR is another great freebie that makes exercising fun. As I completed the boxing tutorial with an instructor and music, it seemed a great way to get moving. However, it prompted you to sign up and pay for their subscription, which I might have considered if I kept the headset, as it’s certainly cheaper than a gym membership.
I then downloaded Aim XR to try a free game from the store. Downloading was surprisingly fast, as it was 2GB in size, and using a 5GHz network was relatively quick. The game is a first-person shooter, so setting up and training was good for handling the controllers and making your way around various maps and body parts where you can find your inventory. It was a seamless experience aiming and hitting targets.
Lastly, I tried using Steam VR, thanks to Steam Link being available on Meta Quest from November 2023. As long as you have Steam open on the same network as the headset and open the Steam Link app, you can connect to Steam on the PC. Being able to run Steam VR and any games with support for the game mode.
I tried out Beat Saber in this mode; although it’s also available natively, it was an excellent way to test the latency. My experience was surprisingly seamless, but this may vary depending on your network setup. The headset supports 5GHz, and if your PC is connected to the router via a fast connection, then it has no problems. Failing at faster Beat Saber levels was more down to my skill and self-awareness when playing in the office.
Conclusion
- Type: Standalone
- Resolution: 1,832 x 1,920 (per eye)
- FOV: 96°H/90°V
- Refresh Rate: 120Hz
- Storage: 256GB
- Battery: 4,324 mAh/2.5-hour
- SOC: Snapdragon XR2 Gen2
- DRAM: 8GB
- Lens Type: Fresnel lens
- Weight: 513g
Overall, it is a surprisingly good VR headset. For being affordable and lightweight, it is featureful and quite capable. Being able to use Steam Link unlocks its potential, but even the primary Meta platform has plenty to offer if you don’t connect to Steam. From the get-go, it is friendly, intuitive, easy to use, and highly adjustable.
But it also has a few drawbacks; the Fresnel lenses and tightness on your head, if you have glasses on, make it slightly uncomfortable after a while; and I did start to get a bit of eye-strain, but that could just be me. Battery life is okay but could be better – again, it’s a minor thing that didn’t really impact my experience. Personally, I think the Meta Quest 3S sets the bar incredibly high, and offers an excellent entry into VR without breaking the bank.
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