Meta unveils Quest 3S, mixed reality for 300 euros

Meta continues its expansion strategy in the mixed reality market with the announcement of the new Quest 3S headset, presented during the Meta Connect 2024 event. With a starting price of 300 dollars (329 euros), the Quest 3S is positioned as an even more affordable option than the Quest 3, which launched at $500. The company describes the Quest 3S as “the best headset for those new to mixed reality and immersive experiences and for those who may have been waiting for a low-cost upgrade from the Quest and Quest 2.”

Despite the competitive price, Meta had to make some choices to reduce costs. The Quest 3S offers 128GB of internal storage, expandable to 256GB for an additional cost of $100. Furthermore, the display has a resolution of 1832×1920, the same as the Quest 2, lower than the Quest 3. The field of view also remains unchanged compared to the Quest 2, at 96H/90V, against the 110H/96V of the Quest 3. However , the Quest 3S is slightly lighter than the Quest 3 and offers better average battery life, despite having a smaller battery.

With the launch of the Quest 3S, Meta announced the withdrawal of the Quest 2 and the Quest Pro from the market. The Quest 3 remains available, with a price reduced to 529 euros for the 512 GB model. Additionally, all purchases of a Quest 3 or 3S will include the new Batman: Arkham Shadow game and a three-month subscription to Quest+. Meta’s strategy seems clear: flood the market with competitively priced devices to gain significant market share. It remains to be seen whether this strategy will also lead to an improvement in the company’s financial results in the long term.