Last year, Microsoft and Meta unveiled an Xbox-branded Quest VR headset, which goes on sale today for $399.99. The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition is a custom-colored VR headgear that includes an Xbox wireless controller, matching Touch Plus controllers, and three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
I’ve been using the Quest 3S Xbox Edition for the past week, and I was shocked to see that Meta has modified the Quest setup process to include the headset and controllers’ carbon black and green style into the UI. This Xbox Edition VR headset even comes pre-paired with the Xbox controller and launches right into the Xbox app.
The Xbox app on the Quest 3S Xbox Edition is the same as on other Meta VR headsets, and it allows you to stream games via Xbox Cloud Gaming. You’ll need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership to achieve this, but Microsoft has included a three-month coupon that is valid for both new and existing Game Pass subscribers.
On this headgear, I played a number of games, including the full Xbox app experience with a 26-foot virtual display and the pass-through view, which transforms an Xbox game into an augmented reality object that resides in your real-world environment.
I loved the flexibility to curve or flatten the virtual display, but the completely immersive mode revealed some of the limitations of Xbox Cloud Gaming’s low bitrate and resolution. Forza Horizon 5 seems a little blocky at times, but I never encountered any noticeable slowness while playing.
The hardware is essentially simply a bespoke colorway, with a green band across the front of the VR headset and a little green Xbox logo on the side. The Xbox controller is styled in the same black and green as Meta’s Touch Plus controllers. Everything matches surprisingly well.
Naturally, Microsoft will sell this as a “Xbox” in the same manner that it does with computers, TVs, and phones that can stream games from Xbox Cloud Gaming. Microsoft has never released an Xbox VR headset, and this is clearly the closest we’ll get to one.
View this post on Instagram
I believe this type of “Xbox” makes sense if you don’t want to bring a big console on vacation or have to bother about attaching a screen. It’s really all in one package, but you’ll have to pay the $19.99 monthly subscription charge for Game Pass Ultimate. This would be much more tempting if Microsoft ultimately introduced its long-rumored dedicated cloud gaming subscription, or even a free ad-supported version, as previously hinted.
Meta and Microsoft are releasing the Quest 3S Xbox Edition in the United States and the United Kingdom today. It will be sold at Meta’s online store, Best Buy in the United States, and Argos and EE in the United Kingdom. “Quantities are extremely limited,” warns Lori Wright, Microsoft’s corporate VP of gaming alliances. “Once they’re gone, they’re gone.”
