Refresh
2024-09-25T12:01:53.168Z
Also absent from the Quest 3S will be the 3.5mm audio jack formerly housed on the right-hand temple of the Quest 3. Given the headset’s Bluetooth capabilities, it’s not a dramatic loss to face, though it may be something for wired headset users to keep in mind.
Thankfully, the Quest 3S retains the improved dual-speaker 3D audio temples of the Quest 3, so even without a headset the Quest 3S will sound pretty remarkable.
The Quest 3S power button has also been shifted to the bottom of the headset, now placed next to the volume rocker. While this is a small change, it is one that many Quest 3 owners will envy.
Myself especially. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve tried finding the power button by touch, only to realize I’ve been trying to press one of the Quest 3’s outer “Canyon” sensors by mistake.
2024-09-25T11:52:41.046Z
(Image credit: Meta / Laptop Mag / Rael Hornby)
Several other changes of note can be found across the headset’s overall design. It’s not just a bulkier chassis that we can expect the Quest 3S to sport, but also a more simplified layout.
The Quest 3’s IPD (Interpupillary distance) wheel is absent from the Quest 3S, indicating that the headset will also adopt the Quest 3’s three-step lens spacing. The Quest 3S also looks set to ditch the Quest 3’s four-step lens spacer, instead reverting to the need to add a lens spacer between the headset’s viewport and facial interface manually.
Speaking of facial interfaces (which is an altogether too fancy word for the cushioning surrounding the headset’s viewport), the Quest 3S will carry over the Quest 3’s woven fabric padding, which is far comfier than the foam padding of the Quest 2.
2024-09-25T11:43:45.601Z
The change in optics will also mean a change in display. Which could potentially once again work in the Quest 3S’ favor when it comes to battery life.
The Quest 3’s pancake lenses might be superior, but they require much brighter panels due to how much light is lost when traveling through them. The Quest 3 also has a dual LCD setup, one for each eye.
On the other hand, the Quest 3S’ fresnel lenses don’t have the same high levels of light loss, meaning its singular LCD won’t need to be as bright or high-powered to deliver similar results.
Despite the difference in expected battery sizes (4,879 mAh for the Quest 3, and 4,324 mAh for the Quest 3S), the lower power draw of its display mixed with the improved efficiency of the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset could see the Quest 3S equal if not outperform the Quest 3’s 2-3 hours of battery life.
Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0 Meta Quest 3Meta Quest 3S (Rumored)Battery4879 mAh, 18.8 Wh4324 mAh, 16.74Wh
2024-09-25T11:21:05.154Z
(Image credit: Meta)
The Quest 3S is also reported to make use of a lower 1832 x 1920 per-eye resolution at 20 pixels-per-degree (PPD), compared to the Quest 3’s 2064 x 2208, 25.5 PPD offering. Thankfully, the Quest 3S will at least remain as comfortable to use, thanks to refresh rates of 120Hz.
On the surface, these adjustments point to a less sharp, less immersive visual experience on the Quest 3S. However, the Quest 3S’ lower resolution could also result in smoother gameplay with it needing to render fewer pixels at any time compared to the Quest 3.
Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0 Meta Quest 3S (Rumored)OpticsFresnelDisplay typeLCD (single)Resolution1832 x 1920Refresh rate120HzPixels-per-degree (PPD)20 PPDPassthroughYes, RGB, 4MP
2024-09-25T11:12:24.501Z
(Image credit: Meta)
The Meta Quest 3’s adoption of pancake lenses allowed Meta to greatly reduce the overall size of the headset (as shown in the above image). This is partially because the pancake lens housing takes up considerably less space compared to the more sizable housing for fresnel lenses, like that found in the Meta Quest 2.
The Quest 3’s pancake lenses also cut down on potential artifacts such as god rays, while maintaining better clarity around their edges. It’s a worthwhile upgrade for Meta’s mixed reality headset, but it won’t be an upgrade that carries over to the Meta Quest 3S.
Taking a closer look at leaked images of the Quest 3S reveals the telltale concentric circle patterns you’d expect to find on fresnel lenses, meaning that while the Quest 3S will have the power and performance of the Quest 3, its optics will likely be similar to the Quest 2.
It also means that the Quest 3S will not be as slim as its Quest 3 counterpart. Though how this impacts the headset’s overall weight remains to be seen.
2024-09-25T10:59:02.495Z
There have been several substantial leaks surrounding the Meta Quest 3S in recent months, from leaked slides of a seemingly official Meta presentation to full-on, high-resolution, hands-on images of the headset appearing on a Korean message board.
As such, we’ve been able to piece together much of what we can expect from Meta’s upcoming headset, and it’s looking like an excellent addition to the Quest catalog of headsets.
Despite its reduced price, the Quest 3S will still make use of the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip that powers the Quest 3, including its Adreno 740 GPU and 8GB of RAM. That’s as good as it gets when it comes to performance parity, though there will be some cutbacks in other areas — most notably, with the Quest 3S’ optics.
Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0 Meta Quest 3S (Rumored)OpticsFresnelDisplay typeLCD (single)Resolution1832 x 1920Refresh rate120HzPixels-per-degree (PPD)20 PPDPassthroughYes, RGB, 4MP
2024-09-25T10:33:16.001Z
Meta’s Quest 3S is less of a mid-cycle refresh as it is a ‘lite’ version of the current Meta Quest 3. It’s expected to be a more affordable (more on that later) option, with the goal to give mixed reality headset adoption a considerable boost, similar to the impact the Quest 2 had on the VR landscape.
However, most interestingly, the Quest 3S isn’t expected to compromise on core performance, meaning we won’t be seeing a split in headset capabilities like how we’ve seen in the past with consoles like the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
2024-09-25T10:28:46.100Z
(Image credit: Meta / Rael Hornby / Laptop Mag)
Meta has an impressive history of VR headsets under its belt thanks to the glowing success of the Quest 2. However, a shift in focus to mixed reality called for a new generation of headset to emerge, and so we saw the Meta Quest 3 release in October 2023.
The Meta Quest 3 offers impressive virtual reality and augmented reality experiences using its pancake lens optics and RGB passthrough cameras. It’s a more powerful headset capable of more graphically impressive results, and its swanky new Touch Plus controllers are a solid improvement over the Quest 2’s also.
However, that advancement comes at a price, literally. With all of Meta’s improvements, the Quest 3 wasn’t able to maintain the same ultra-affordable pricing that made the Quest 2 such a popular choice among VR users and first-time adopters.
That’s where the Meta Quest 3S comes in.
2024-09-25T09:05:43.620Z
Good morning from the Laptop Mag team as we kick-start today’s coverage of Meta Connect 2024. We’ll be with you throughout the day, bringing you the latest word surrounding today’s event, while getting you up to speed with everything we know in advance.
So, why not dive straight into things? Perhaps the most widely anticipated reveal of today’s event will be the official unveiling of the Meta Quest 3S. But what is it and what can we expect? Let’s take a closer look.
