Meta unveils $300 Quest 3S headset for October launch

During its newest Connect event, Meta unveiled a new headset: the Quest 3S. Releasing October 15, the device is being positioned as a lower-cost entry into VR at $300 (for 128 GB) or $400 (512 GB).

To compare, the original Quest 3 and Quest Pro headsets respectively launched at $500 (for 128 GB) and $1,500. But over the last few years, Meta has played around with the price of Quest headsets.

In 2022, the Quest 2 got a price increase as a way of helping Meta "continue investing" in VR. Then in 2023, both it and the Pro had their individual prices slashed.

Impressions for the Quest 3S state it will have the same performance and mixed reality features as its predecessor, while having an improved 2.5-hour battery life (compared to the Quest 3's 2.2-hour battery). Other notable changes include being smaller than the Quest 3, lower-resolution displays, and a narrower depth of field.

With the Quest 3S coming in October, Meta is also phasing out some of its headsets. Both the Quest 2 and Pro, and the Quest 3's 128 GB version, are being discontinued.

All three will be sold "until the end of the year or until they're gone," according to Meta, and the 128 GB Quest 3 will be reduced to $430 (down from $500) until supplies last. The 512 GB version will be reduced to $500, and it will be Meta's only other headset beyond the Quest 3S' two versions.

The original Meta Quest was discontinued in 2020, a year after it launched. While the Quest 2 got to have a four-year life, the Quest Pro lasted two years before, and the initial Quest 3 only had a single year.