Meta Quest 3S review: Meta's new headset has finally sold me on VR

It's taken a while, but I'm now a VR convert thanks to the Meta Quest 3S

(Credit: Adam Vjestica/The Shortcut)

🏆 Review Score: 4 out of 5

Pros:

• ✅ Tempting price point

• ✅ Mixed reality might be even more fun than VR

• ✅ Hand tracking is excellent

• ✅ No wires to hold you back

• ✅ Large enough sweet spot

• ✅ Loads of games and applications to try

• ✅ Entertainment is more immersive

• ✅ You can use it for productivity tasks

Cons:

• ❌ The standard head strap isn’t the best

• ❌ Limited IPD settings

• ❌ Controller analog sticks are a little small

• ❌ The headset needs to be charged after every use

• ❌ No headphone jack

• ❌ You’re better off spending a little more on the Meta Quest 3

The Shortcut Review

I’ve remained skeptical of VR since its conception, but the Meta Quest 3S has changed my mind. The affordable price point is the Quest 3S’ biggest strength – allowing it to reach the mass market adoption VR so desperately needs. But the technology has also matured significantly in recent years that make virtual reality and mixed reality more engaging than ever.

Jumping into the latest VR games like Batman: Arkham Shadow only reenforces that point, as what were once tech demos now feel like fully fledged, console-rivalling experiences. Mixed or augmented reality is even more impressive, opening up new ways to work, play games and enjoy your favorite entertainment by manipulating the world around you.

Whether you’re into VR or AR, there’s so much to dive into. (Credit: Adam Vjestica/The Shortcut)

For $299, the Meta Quest 3S keeps many of the key specs from the more expensive Quest 3. The Quest 3S’ fresnel lenses and lower display resolution are the biggest cost-cutting measures, while the processor, weight, refresh rate, and RAM remain the same. It even has one big advantage over the Quest 3: better head and hand tracking in low-light conditions.

The headset’s field of view has also taken a hit, dropping from 110 degrees horizontal and 96 degrees vertical on the Quest 3, to 96 degrees horizontal and 90 degrees vertical on the Quest 3S.

Meta Quest 3S specs 🛠️

• Price: $299 (128GB) / $399 (256GB)

• Display: 1832 x 1920 per eye (773 PPI)

• Refresh rate: 90-120Hz

• FOV: 96 degrees horizontal / 90 degrees vertical

• Lenses: Fresnel

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen2

• RAM: 8GB of DRAM

• Weight: 514 grams

The result is a blurrier, less pleasing image, and the narrower field of view hampers the immersion slightly. However, neither is a deal breaker, and I actually found that the Quest 3S delivered a more consistent experience than Sony’s significantly more expensive PSVR 2 thanks to its larger sweet spot and wireless nature.

It’s obvious from the moment you boot up the Quest 3S Meta has an established a thriving ecosystem. There are hundreds of games to play, countless apps to try, and a litany of unique experiences on offer. It makes you feel you’re joining a party in full swing, as opposed to getting there early and hoping more guest arrive.

The headset is fairly comfortable thanks to its lightweight design, though the included head strap means most of the weight sits at the front. You can consider getting a third-party head strap, which is recommended and relatively inexpensive, although it’s not essential. The controllers are excellent, though I wish the analog sticks were bigger, and the headset’s audio is equally impressive, delivering convincing spatial, 3D audio.

The Meta Quest 3S has made such a positive impression that I’ve been eyeing up the Quest 3 now that the 512GB model has dropped in price.

Of course, the same quirks remain that have arguably held VR headsets back. You still need the recommended space to play, although you can play many games sitting down. The headset’s battery life lasts just over two hours, meaning long sessions aren’t viable unless you’re plugged in or have a battery pack attached. And many will find that VR, in particular, can make you feel sick as a dog in a matter of minutes.

The Quest 3S is quite a handsome device. (Credit: Adam Vjestica/The Shortcut)

But I have to admit, the Meta Quest 3S has made such a positive impression that I’ve been reaching for it more than I ever expected. So much so that I’ve been eyeing up the Quest 3 now that the 512GB model has dropped in price. For $200 more, the issue I have with the lenses and resolution would be gone, enhancing almost everything I love about the Quest 3S.

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to jump into the world of VR and AR, the Meta Quest 3S is easy to recommend. I'd also suggest choosing it over the PSVR 2, which is limited in its capabilities, much more expensive, and has several unfixable issues, like a tiny sweet spot, a distracting mura effect, and a far smaller library of games to play.

Meta provided a review unit.

What I loved about the Meta Quest 3S ❤️

The Meta Quest 3S comes with the same Touch Plus controllers as the Quest 3. (Credit: Adam Vjestica/The Shortcut)

• 💰 Tempting price point. At $299, the Meta Quest 3S hits the ideal price point for those interested in VR and AR but were put off by the often expensive entry fee. The Quest 3S also comes with Batman: Arkham Shadow for free and three months of Meta Quest Plus to sweeten an already tempting deal.

• 🤗 Super easy to set up. You’ll be guided through every step of how the Meta Quest 3S works. You’ll feel like a VR pro even if you’re a total newbie because the interactive examples explain all the features. Whether it’s learning how to bring up a menu by holding your palm up and then pinching your thumb and index finger together, or how to jump between virtual and mixed reality, you’re not thrown into the deep end.

• 🙌 No wires get in the way. Like wireless earbuds, headphones, and cordless vacuums, having a wire-free experience makes the Meta Quest 3S much easier to love. I never had to worry about tripping up, pulling anything down, or the weight of a wire resting on my shoulder.

• 👀 Mixed reality might be even more fun than VR. Seeing my room transform into an alien planet as critters burst through the walls in ‘First Encounters’ evoked a childlike sense of glee. But I was eager to see how someone with zero VR/AR knowledge would react. I asked my girlfriend to try it (someone who is not a gamer or a tech enthusiast) and hearing her laugh, yelp, and gasp in amazement as she fended off the alien creatures was a special moment I won’t forget. After she finished playing, she said: “This is the best thing I’ve ever tried. Can we get more games, please?”

• 👋 Hand tracking is excellent. Using my hands to navigate and interact with the Meta Quest 3S’s menus works well. Whether it was pinching to select something or typing on a big, floating keyboard with my fingers, the hand tracking never faltered during my time with the headset. It’s great that you don’t need to reach for the controllers every time you put the headset on, especially if you want to kick back and watch a film.

• 🍬 Large enough sweet spot. Even though the Meta Quest 3S uses Fresnel lenses instead of the superior Pancake lenses in the Quest 3, I found the sweet spot was far larger than the tiny window on the PSVR 2. You’ll still experience some ghosting, fringing, and general blurriness. However, the larger sweet spot meant I rarely had to adjust the headset once it was in position. The overall resolution, which is lower than the Quest 3, was also perfectly serviceable. Just don’t expect a crystal clear image.

The Meta Quest 3S works well as a productivity tool. (Credit: Adam Vjestica/The Shortcut)

• 👏 Loads of games and applications are available. Meta’s dedication to making VR a reality allows new Quest 3S owners to access hundreds of games and applications that developers have perfected over many years. There’s so much to dive into – this isn’t just a gaming device, like the PSVR 2. Whether you’re browsing the web, jumping into social events like Meta Horizons, working on your fitness, or watching VR/3D movies, the Quest 3S offers a variety of content.

• 👂 Spatial audio is super convincing. The Meta Quest 3S delivers excellent spatial audio with no need for earbuds or a headset. It’s surprising how clear and crisp the speakers are considering they’re built into the headband, but they create a convincing sensation that sound is coming from all around you.

• ✅ Full-color passthrough and dedicated button. Switching between virtual reality and the headset’s passthrough mode is as easy as pressing a button. It helps to circumvent that feeling of isolation VR can sometimes bring and is especially handy if you need to jump out of an application to deal with something in the real world quickly. The full-color passthrough is a little grainy, but it’s clear enough that you can read a quick message on your phone.

• 📺 Entertainment is more immersive. Watching your favorite shows and movies on the Meta Quest 3S is awesome. You can create a huge flat or curved screen and submerge yourself in darkness when using apps like YouTube or Prime Video. The resolution is high enough that you’re not distracted by subpar image quality, and the cinema-like setting makes something as passive as Clarkson’s Farm seem like an epic event. The Quest 3S can’t rival the fidelity of the Apple Vision Pro, but it also doesn’t cost $3,499 either.

  

  Watching movies and TV shows on the Meta Quest 3S will put a smile on your face. (Credit: Adam Vjestica/The Shortcut)

• 👔 You can use it for productivity tasks. Fun fact: I’ve written much of this review on the Meta Quest 3S. I connected a mouse and keyboard via Bluetooth and used mixed reality to beam three large windows into my environment. It isn’t the crispest display, and the passthrough quality means you’ll need to be a competent at touch typing, but it works well. Being able to work on three giant virtual monitors is more than just a novelty.

• 💪 Connect to a gaming PC to access higher-fidelity VR games. Though I haven’t been able to test this in my review (mostly because I don’t own any PC VR games), the fact you can connect the Meta Quest 3S to a gaming PC wired or wirelessly to experience what the best VR games can offer is a wonderful feature. I’m definitely going to give Half-Life: Alyx a try to see what all the fuss is about.

What I disliked about the Meta Quest 3S 💔

The Quest 3S uses cheaper Fresnel lenses. (Credit: Adam Vjestica/The Shortcut)

• 😖 The standard head strap isn’t the best. With a bit of fiddling, you can get a pretty good fit with the standard head strap. However, things can get uncomfortable after a while and you won’t be able to pass the headset to another person easily as they have to make similar adjustments. Thankfully, you can solve this issue relatively cheaply with third-party options available. I picked up the Kiwi Comfort Head Strap for around $20, which was easy to install and made a dramatic difference.

• 😣 Limited IPD settings. The Meta Quest 3S includes three IPD (inter-pupillary distance) settings, which are the distance from the center of one pupil to the other. You can switch between 58mm, 63mm, and 68mm, which should fit most users. However, if you fall outside of these measurements, you may see a more blurry image.

• 🤏 Controller analog sticks are a little small. The Meta Quest controllers feature tiny analog sticks that flatter even the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controller. They’re not a deal breaker, but their small size means you lose a lot of fidelity and I found they weren’t accurate enough to play Tetris Effect: Connected without accidentally hard dropping blocks.

• 🔋 The headset needs to be charged after every use. Battery life continues to be a sticking point for VR headsets, though the Quest 3S offers the longest playtime out of Meta’s lineup at around two and a half hours, depending on the application. I got in the habit of charging the headset after every session.

• 🤔 No headphone jack. Not having a headphone jack means you can’t use the Meta Quest 3S next to another person or on a plane. The built-in speakers bleed a lot of sound, as you might expect, and Bluetooth headphones suffer from a noticeable delay.

• 👎 Some apps failed to open or crashed. Once in a while, I realized some apps would refuse to open. I even had to reinstall Amazon Prime Video after it kept crashing after a couple of seconds of playback. While developers will probably iron out these bugs, I felt frustrated when I couldn’t access an app.

• 🤷‍♂️ It still comes with the same VR drawbacks. As fantastic as the Meta Quest 3S is, you’ll still have to deal with the same VR drawbacks we’ve become accustomed to. You need to ensure you have an adequate place to play, which is perhaps the biggest barrier for many. If you’re not accustomed to VR, you may also experience nausea and have to cope with being disconnected from the outside world. Expect the same red marks to be left on your face after each play session and don’t even think about keeping your hair in check.

Should you buy the Meta Quest 3S? 🤔

You can change the head strap on the Quest 3 and customize it in other ways to suit your needs. (Credit: Adam Vjestica/The Shortcut)

Yes, if…

• ✅ You want to dive into VR and mixed-reality content without breaking the bank.

• ✅ You’re after a device that doesn’t sacrifice any key features.

• ✅ You’d like to pick up another headset for the family.

No, if…

• ❌ You’re looking for the best resolution and lens clarity available.

• ❌ You already own a Meta Quest 3 or a more capable headset.

• ❌ The drawbacks of VR are still unappealing to you.

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.