If you’ve wanted to experience VR gaming but have been put off by the high cost, you might be interested in the first true discount on Meta Quest 3S for 2025. Right now, you can save $30 on the wireless VR headset, whether you choose the 128GB or 256GB option. The Meta Quest 3S is on sale for $269 via Amazon. This is a record-low price for the 128GB VR headset, as it typically costs $300.
To sweeten the deal even more, the package includes a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow VR and a three-month trial of Meta Quest+.
Meta Quest 3S VR Headset with Batman: Arkham Shadow
The Quest 3S is a significant advance over the original Quest 2 in every regard, and it does it without increasing the price. It also has many of the same capabilities as the more expensive Quest 3, such as new and enhanced Touch controllers, an upgraded SnapDragon APU, and support for full color AR passthrough. In AG4Tech’s 9/10 Quest 3S review, we noted that “raw processing power, full-color passthrough, and snappy Touch Plus controllers make the Quest 3S a fantastic standalone VR headset that also brings entry-level mixed-reality gaming to the masses for – arguably – the first time.”
What truly distinguishes this deal from all other VR deals is that the Meta Quest 3S can be played totally untethered. That means you can play games like Beat Saber and Pistol Whip without needing a strong gaming PC or a PlayStation 5 console. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another standalone VR headset at this price.
How Is the Quest 3S Different from the Quest 3?
Even at retail price, the Quest 3S costs $200, which is 40% less than the $500 Quest 3. Obviously, some compromises were made to bring the 3S to a competitive pricing point. Specification comparisons are provided below:
Quest 3S vs. Quest 3 Similarities
- Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor
- Touch Plus controllers
- 120Hz refresh rate
- Mixed reality passthrough (same cameras, different layout)
Quest 3S vs. Quest 3 Differences
- Lower per-eye resolution (1832×1920 vs 2064×2208)
- Fresnel lens vs. pancake lens
- Lower FOV (96°/90° vs 104°/96°)
- Smaller storage capacity (128GB vs 512GB)
- Longer battery life (2.5hrs vs 2.2hrs)
In essence, the Quest 3S is a nearly identical headset with inferior optics. On the bright side, because both headsets use the same processor, running at a lesser resolution decreases the load on the APU, potentially improving gaming performance and accounting for the enhanced battery life.
For the price, the Quest 3S is clearly a better bargain than the Quest 3, and a better option for most gamers, especially if the Quest 3 was utterly out of reach in the first place. Compared to the previous generation Quest 2, the decision is even simpler.
