Customer Ratings & Reviews

It's been a few years since I've tried a VR headset, dating all the way back to some poor experiences with the far forebearer of this Quest 3S headset, the Oculus Rift. At the time, the technology was cool but unweildy and not yet ready for prime time. But boy have things changed - this Meta Quest 3S is an ENTIRELY different experience - very polished and ready to bring VR to the masses. But is it for everyone? Is it for YOU? Read on to find out. The first thing you notice when unboxing the Quest 3S is how well thought out the whole thing is. The packaging and guides (which, like most things these days, including a QR code to download the companion app on your phone - here's that essential) are all nicely done and do a graet job at getting you quickly up and moving. My headset came mostly charged, but I did take a bit of time to make sure it was fully charged before I first turned it on (a kiddo getting this for a present can immediately jump in without waiting for charging though if they want). The headset and controllers are very well made and everything seems to have great fit / finish and like it will last until well after the electronics inside are dated. The setup experience was easy, I elected to not use my Facebook account and create a new Meta account and all went very smoothly. The headset boot up was quick and there was a short update before I was off and going. Likewise, pairing the controllers was quick and easy. I LOVE the menu experience in the 3S - it's super seamless since (1) using the external cameras, you can see the room around you so it appears that the menus are floating in your normal space and (2) the use of the controllers (which feel great in your hands) is very intuitive if you've used controllers for any previously length of time. You even get a multi "window" experience in the interface if that's what you want. The cameras have a fairly high resolution, so it really does feel like you're just looking at windows floating in your room. With this package, you get the Batman: Arkham Shadow game you can redeem to your account and download to the headset along with a 3 month trial of the Meta Quest+ service - basically like a Game Pass services or PS+, you get 2 free to keep games per month and then free use during your subscription of many other games. It's a great way to jump in and try a bunch of different things and very easy to use, though I'm not sure if I'll renew past 3 months to keep the options open or focus on a few games that I've purchased. That gets me to the next point - there are really sort of 4 primary use cases for this headset - 1. Gaming ON the headset itself - though it wouldn't have been possible even a few years ago, you really can have a SOLID VR gaming experience with just the headset and no external computer. The Batman game that's including the package and the Meta Quest+ service are based around just that, as are the hundreds of games you can buy in the Meta Store. I picked up a couple of games to try and had a great time racing a superbike in VR, slicing fruit and a few other experiences. Graphics vary, but generally the effect was quite good and immersive, though many of the games are a bit shorter. These games use the non-expandable 256GB storage on the device, but that's enough for plenty of games as they tend to be on the smaller side storage wise. Solid positive experience here and this is, to me, the biggest reason to buy the headset. 2. Gaming on your computer THROUGH the headset - much like that original Rift headset, you can connect this headset to your gaming PC (if it's powerful enough - the link cable is also not included / must be purchased separately) and use it as a VR headset for grander PC gaming. I was excited to try this out with some car racing games on my PC and it didn't disappoint, really cranking up the immersion factor of my driving sims. My PC (powered by an Nvidia 4070 Super) is plenty powerful enough to drive the headset and the experiences greatly exceeded through on the device itself. THAT SAID, you do end up tethered a bit for maximum performance (there's a wireless option, but I didn't try that yet so I'm not sure about the lag, etc.) and it requires a decently powerful gaming PC. This could be a great reason to pick up a headset, though most people will likely lean toward the on headset options first. 3. Productivity/Education - while I haven't had a virtual meeting in Workspaces yet, there are tons of options to add additional "virtual monitors" to your PC or even create entirely virutal PCs, interact with objects in 3 dimensions that you're modeling, visit places you've never been or learn about things in ways that a flat 2D image on a monitor or tablet just can't approach. When used right, I can certainly see this being a top use case and a great way to learn in a simulated / safer environments skills that you'll need to deploy in the real world. 4. Content consumption - while, yes, you can use the headset to simulate a GIANT 120"+ screen (or even multtiple screens at once) and either stream online media or play your own local media (with a USB-C capture card, it's even possible to do things like use the headset to play content from any HDMI source), this is the shakiest use case to me. It's novel and all that you can do so (particularly if you're sitting next to a family member that wants to watch something different) and it DOES work, it's a bit odd to sit and watch an entire movie on a fundamentally flat surface (virtual surface) with a weight strapped to your head. This is really the only time that the weight of the Quest 3S (which isn't a lot of weight) become a thing because in most other VR content, you're moving around and engaging, not trying to hold your head still and watch). Likewise, while it's a fairly compact headset, it's still a lot for the latest hyped use case of taking it on a plane to watch content there. It would certainly work, but might be a bit awkward. For these use cases, it might be better to buy a TV or tablet.. So there you sort of have it - I'd highly recommend the Quest 3S for gaming - on headset or linked to a gaming PC - or productivity / educational use if you have the right content / apps for it. Not sure I'd recommend it for content consumption, but your expereinces may differ. Beyond, that it's a super polished and well thought out and executed experience that is well-worth the price of admission. The advances in the last few years are simply amazing. So if you're interested in jumping into the VR fun, this is a GREAT way to get started. Give it a try today!

Bought two of these should have returned both. Battery life horrible. Not worth it in my opinion. Only used it twice and now is a regret.

This is a great entry level VR headset. It has a few issues, but it is forgivable as the device is meant for value. I would highly recommend this if this is your first VR set or would just like one for casual use. Pros: - Good battery life - Comfortable - Great performance - Good UI - Lots of apps - Great hand and controller tracking - Great pass through camera Cons: - Lower resolution screen - Only 3 optic positions - Controllers use AA batteries - Low quality plastic lenses First impressions: The design of the 3S is great. It looks very high tech with cameras all over the headset. The build is all plastic and cloth but it feels high quality and durable. The fit is great for most heads as the strap is adjustable on the sides and top. The controllers are comfortable to hold and also feel high quality. Setup: You will need a Meta account to set this device up. This will allow you to make purchases, redeem coupons (3 month trial of Quest+ and Batman in this case). The account also lets you setup security features such as a PIN for use in the device. It is kind of weird using the headset and setting it up via your phone at the same time as the pass through camera is good, but not good enough to read a cell phone screen. After a quick update and installing some apps, I was good to go. UI and general use: The device is much better than previous versions. Hand tracking is amazing without a controller. Controller tracking is also great. The UI feels much more mature in this model. Grabbing and moving windows is easy now and there are plenty of experimental features such as Meta AI allowing for great voice control. My main concern is that as a cost saving measure, the optics only allow for three positions. I had my best results in the widest setting but it was never great as there were always blurry patches. The lenses are also plastic and have a sweet spot for focus which is a bit annoying. Speakers are great with good audio separation. Gaming: I primarily tested on the new Batman game. It is amazing on this device! I did not have any issues with motion sickness and any issues I had was with positioning of the optics. The set up boundaries work great in VR with virtual walls appearing when you get close to an edge. The Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor is amazing for on device gaming and the illusion of being in Gotham was outstanding with detailed textures and great frame rates. The device is truly capable of high end gaming on the go. You can get even better results with the USB cable to game on your PC using the GPU to do the processing of higher end games. The controller inputs are extremely accurate and the visor blocks out all light with the exception of a tiny bit near your nose (depending on your nose size). Fitness games are great as well with the speakers providing good music output and the headset being relatively lightweight. Entertainment: Watching YouTube, Amazon or Netflix were great for me. The strap is minimal so you can wear it comfortably when lying down while watching a show. 1080p video looks great on with a large simulated screen. Work: There are plenty of apps for work using a virtual desktop in the store. I think the main issue here is that this model has a lower resolution compared to other models so it works for this use, but might not be the best device for that job. Battery: It is rated at 2.5 hours of use. I think this is fairly accurate as a 1:30 session in Batman used about 60% of my battery. There is an optional battery back strap you can get if you want more time. The controllers have great battery life but need replaceable batteries. I recommend you get optional controller charging station which uses rechargeable batteries

The MQ3S is geared towards affordability and performance. In this I think it has stricken a good balance. Several things have been scaled down from its more expensive sibling. Frankly, the lower resolution has not affected my visual enjoyment. Games and movies look vibrant and quite clear. Eye adjustment has fewer options, and the field of view (FOV) is lower. In my experience, immersion suffers a tiny bit as the environment shows up occasionally when outside the play area. The environment see-through feature is slightly granny, but still works well. 128GB is OK, but since many AAA games go above 30GB, one must keep an eye on that. There’s always the 256GB option. The most disappointing thing (at least for me) is the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack. I must either pair a Bluetooth headset or buds or use USB-C compatible ones. Nevertheless, sound immersion is great when using the very capable side speakers. In reality, the lower resolution is not entirely a bad thing as the performance is buttery smooth due to the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor and 8GB of RAM. I have yet to experience any significant slowdowns or hiccups while playing demanding games. If this was the only VR headset I owned, I would be totally happy. Also, the lower weight and design allows for a more comfortable, yet slightly unbalanced, fit. I found them quite comfortable when laying down and watching video content. The controllers are easy to hold and use, and the motion detection (with or without controllers) is tight and fairly accurate. The battery is great, since the basic display makes it last for at least 2 hours or more. All that said, I find the MQ3S is an amazing, affordable entry into the world of VR. It provides the full experience without breaking the bank.

The Meta Quest 3S with 256gb is an incredible experience. I have seen people say how amazing this product is and now I have gotten the opportunity to try it out for myself and I can definitely say the technology embedded in this product has really surpassed my expectations. The box itself is not large and it was surprisingly easy to set up. I thought I would have to go through the tedious process of connecting cables and wires to my tv and find the HTML much like the setup of a new Wii but this is nothing like that. It has been simplified. The box itself comes with the Meta Quest 3S headset, the standard facial interface which is preinstalled, glasses spacer, 2 Meta Quest Touch Plus controllers, 2 AA batteries, 2 wrist straps, which are preinstalled, a USB-C power adapter, a USB-C charging cable (1 m), and finally my Meta Quest came with the Batman: Arkham Shadow game included! Even though the Meta Quest 3S is less expensive than the Meta Quest 3 due to the lower resolution, I have to say that I think the resolution is still very good in the 3S and obviously not as pricey. Even though it was my first time experiencing virtual technology, the setup was pretty simple after a few tries. First you turn on the head set with the power button and once you put it on a screen appears through the headset in front of you. The headset also had audio so it tells you how to use the controllers along with visual demonstrations and you easily connect to WiFi and set up the device just using the headset just like watching a movie. The controllers themselves are very easy to use specially if you have played any type of game before it’s pretty easy to pick up. Part of the setup is to download the Meta Horizon app and create an account if you do not already have one. This is how I was allowed to download and play the Batman game in the first place. Much like having an account to sign in to your computer. The head set has several buttons. Besides the power button, it also has volume buttons, and an action button which is used to switch between immersive mode and passthrough, which I will explain later. The headset comes with adjustable straps to fit comfortably and a USB-C port for charging. Now, the action button is one of the coolest features in my opinion. When you click the action button it either takes you to passthrough or immersive mode. Passthrough is getting a real time view of your real surroundings but immersive mode actually shows you a virtual reality like walking around in another world. Before entering immersive mode, the device will ask you to create a boundary. Meaning it will see how much space you have around you and then when you are in immersive mode, that boundary still exists. It will remember that boundary for you so you don't have to worry. You can walk around in the virtual reality but if you are about to cross that boundary, a wall will show up letting you know where your boundaries are and this is such a great feature because it alerts you if you’re about to bump into your coffee table or into a very real wall. In the immersive mode you can also interact with others and play games with them and the Meta Quest has hundreds of immersive and interactive games to choose from. I’ve noticed that the performance is fast which must be due to the Snapdragon XR2 GEN 2 chip that it uses. When I noticed the Facebook and Instagram are preinstalled, I was afraid that I have to sign in into my FB account, but I am glad that is not required, and there is the option to uninstall them if you want. You only need to create a Meta account as part of the setup process and to use your headset. Another cool feature is that you don’t actually have to use the controllers all the time. For example, during the setup, the device teaches you that when you’re wearing the headset and you want to return to the Home Screen, you can actually just put the controllers down, lift your hand a bit, and touch your thumb and index finger and the device will immediately pick up the gesture and take you back to the Home Screen. The home screen of the Meta Quest is like the home screen of a computer. You can download apps or see the time, settings and other basic things so it’s very easy to get around. These are things that are barely scratching the surface. The VR experience is truly remarkable, colorful, realistic, immersive. I can feel that it is capable of predicting my movements o next steps, I assumed it is because of its Meta AI technology. Meta Quest itself is amazing for watching movies and even working out. I definitely have had a lot of fun while playing with this. You don’t need at all a computer or other device to download/store/or play the games. Everything will be installed/stored in the 256GB onboard memory. This unit does not have memory upgrade option, but 256Gb is a very decent size for the games and apps I am looking for. It is a great tool for educational purposes, since it allows you to bring virtual elements into the physical world. Either for business, school, college, by connecting your headset with your windows computer with a USB-C cable and the Meta Quest Link. The video experience is definitely way better than the regular 2D monitor display, by having a full immersive 3D environment, so the Meta Quest 3s is not only for games, but also to improve productivity. You can check your mail with the gmail and outlook apps, however I think some others will improve over time. The battery itself lasts about 2 and a half hours which is plenty for me especially considering all the things the device does. For all that the Meta Quest 3s offers, it is a great value. Even if the 3 has a little higher specs, the 3s performs surprisingly well. I think this might be a strategy to promote it widely, and the right time to get it while it is still affordable. This is a great product that I can really rely on to distract myself or when I need a break from real life. I highly recommend it to anyone thinking of purchasing it.

Meta Quest 3S 256GB — Get Batman: Arkham Shadow and a 3-Month Trial of Meta Quest Summary: A continuously refined and mature VR experience! Use: We like to hike, walk our dogs, ride our bikes, or go dancing as much as we like questing in Azeroth, Tamriel, or other gaming universe. Sometimes it is hard to choose or make time for both - unless the weather does it for us. The Meta Quests have filled an unexpected role in our lives. The Quest can satisfy both a need for physical activity and sate our thirst for fantasy or sci-fi. The dogs get to sit back and laugh. We bought into the Meta-verse because we are game geek afficionados, first and foremost. We love supporting cutting edge technology and we have seen the vast array of offerings that tried to leave their mark and establish themselves as THE AR/VR ecosystem to beat. The Quest Meta has made large leaps and strides towards this end. While we definitely enjoy the more traditional gaming experiences offered on PC and on console, the Meta offers a way to play games and "get moving." The most basic experience are games like Beat Saber, LOL. That is some great fun! But we have enjoyed the thrill of trying to survive zombie mobs and cast magical spells to obliterate our foes. The Batman Arkham Shadow experience builds on the platforms success by offering a block buster title with some fun game play mechanics and a good story. You climb over or duck under obstacles. You combo punch and dodge enemies. You fling your battarang grappling hook and even do the famed bat glide to cross distances fast. The movements took some getting used to, but that is just because the feel of the controllers, though mostly familiar, still feel a bit different. The graphics of the game are great when compared to the Quest 2. The levels are well thought out, give you plenty to look at, and offer a unique way to experience Gotham and being in shoes of the caped crusader. What is even more amazing is the snappier response times, controls, and even network connectivity seems improved. Before, downloading a song pack for Beat Saber would take a minute or so. On the 3S, it takes a second or two. My favorite feature? The auto-generated boundaries! The unit will survey, with the help of you turning in place, your play space and build a boundary for you automagically. This allows maximum use of available space and it's fast and seamless. We own a few earlier iterations of the Quest including the Pro and a Quest 2. Even though this is the "lite" version of the Quest 3, you wouldn't know it. The cameras, the display resolution, and the overall performance is definitely and markedly improved from the previous generations. If you're looking to step into the world of VR, this is the time to do it and model is perfect for a first-time adventure, or to augment a family collection for cooperative (or competitive) game play. Pros: * Form Factor. The Quest 3S iterates on the already practical form factor. The head strap is easy to adjust, and I feel more intuitive. * Visual Fidelity. The display is better than the Quest 2 and this offers for a more convincing and immersive experience. * Performance. The unit is much faster and more responsive further augmenting the immersive experience. * Augmented Reality. The AR view is immensely improved. Full color AND you can easily even your devices like your phone, etc., as is often needed when preparing to stream, connect to TVs, etc. It is simply a matter of pressing an awkwardly located button. * Audio. The speakers to this unit offer the directed audio that help keep your experience immersive, but also relatively quiet at normal levels (depending on how immersed you need to be). * USB-C. The USB-C charging port is conspicuously placed and easy to get to making for a quick charge connection. * OS. The operating system performs well and offers a smooth VR experience whether you're in a lobby or switching between applications and media. * Memory. The memory capacities still seem a bit on the small side for today's technology, but it is adequate enough to install plenty of applications and/ or games. * Controllers. The controllers resemble the original controllers but have lost the protective arch and feel a bit lighter. I'm still getting used to them and their straps! They are responsive. * Hand Tracking. The AR cameras and the hand motion sensing work well! You can navigate without the controllers with a little bit of getting used to. I still wish there were a "Power Glove" like offering, but all things considered, hand control is pretty impressive. * Battery. I was able to play about an hour or so before my head got so sweaty that I needed a break. The battery was at 65% by then. I had played some Batman, and several Beat Saber and browsing sessions. I'm not sure I can run out the battery in a single sitting, but I'm going to try! Cons: There is no cons. At this price point and the maturity of the ecosystem and the iteration of the product, I feel like this is an excellent buy that can offer hours of fun and entertainment and even workouts. The only con is still the familiarity barrier - more people need to experience the Quest to appreciate just what VR can be and offer. If I *HAD* to be picky and complain about something it would be a lack of a carrying case, or satchel, no matter how basic. We love these things and highly recommend them to everyone. The 3S is a high value budget friendly version and perfect for those budget-minded-yet-curious folk!

I recently purchased the Oculus (Meta Quest) and I’m honestly amazed at how far virtual reality has come. Setup was simple — the headset connected to my phone and Wi-Fi in minutes, and I was inside the virtual world almost instantly. The visuals are crisp, motion tracking is smooth, and it feels surprisingly natural to move around and interact. What really stands out is how immersive everything feels — from gaming to exploring virtual environments, it’s a full sensory experience. The sound quality is great too; you don’t even need external headphones to get lost in it. Battery life could be a bit longer (I usually get around 2 hours of intense gameplay), but charging is fast and the headset is lightweight enough for longer sessions. If you’ve ever been curious about VR, this is absolutely worth it. Whether you’re gaming, watching 360° videos, or just exploring, the Oculus delivers a top-tier experience that feels futuristic yet totally accessible. Highly recommend — this thing turns your living room into another world.

I bought the Meta Quest 3s for my child, and it’s been a fantastic! It’s a noticeable upgrade from the Quest 2, with sharper visuals, better performance, and improved comfort for extended play. The setup was straightforward, and my child loves the immersive experience. Compared to the Meta Quest 3, the Quest 3s offers excellent value—delivering a top-notch VR experience at a more economical price point. The variety of family-friendly games is a big plus, though I wish the battery lasted longer during long sessions. Overall, it’s a smart choice for fun and creativity without breaking the bank!

As someone who has never used a VR headset before, the first words that came out of my mouth, while wearing the Meta Quest 3S, was "OMG, this is the coolest tech I have ever used". If you are looking for a gift for your children, grandchildren, spouse etc., stop wasting your time looking for something. THIS IS IT! Out of the box the first thing to do is to fully charge the device. When putting it on for the first time you have to adjust the head straps for a snug fit that will not allow the headset to move or slide when your head is moving. An adapter for eye glasses is included and is easily installed by snapping into place. You should also install the Meta Horizons app on your phone and pair your phone to the Quest. The push of a button on the left side turns on the power. You will be prompted to install updates. The headset turns on in Mixed Reality mode which overlays the Virtual Reality into your actual environment. There is a button on the underside of the headset which will switch to complete Virtual Reality. However, you will be prompted to allow the headset to survey your surroundings so that it can set boundaries on where you can step without running into physical items such as furniture. You must look at the floor to complete this survey. Meta provides you with a comprehensive user interface introduction which teaches you how to interact with the device including how to use the controllers and all necessary hand gestures. When I first put the headset on I thought that it felt a little heavy. But after using it for a while and getting into the experience of using it I simply forgot all about that. There are 2 hand controllers included along with a charging cable and adapter. The controllers are very comfortable to hold and intuitive to use. There are so many activities that you can do from Whatsapp, Youtube, Netflix, gaming, email, messaging, phone calls, etc. And one of the biggest surprises to me was the audio quality. It far exceeded my expectations and helps to get you more immersed in the experience. My unit came with 256gb of storage, enough for apps and games without worrying about running out of space. It has 8gb of memory and an LCD screen with 1832 x 1920 resolution with a 120 htz refresh rate. Also included is the Batman Arkham Shadow game. The Fresner lenses are only adjustable to 3 prefixed settings that snap into place by sliding the lens to the left or right. To me, this is the weakest part of the whole experience. I was constantly adjusting between 2 of these settings trying to find the perfect clarity. Also the field of sight in which you get the clearest picture is smaller than I would have liked. I sometimes had to move my head up or down to try to find the clearest picture. A variable setting for the lenses would be a better alternative. Meta claims 2.5 hours of battery life per charge. I think 2 hours is more realistic. However, 2 hours should be enough time to spend each day with the Quest. If more is needed, there are battery packs available for you to purchase. Overall bang for the buck, this should be at the top of everyone's gift list this year. Every time I used it I found myself smiling and enjoying the experience.

Simply impressive! This is absolutely the future at an affordable price! This is the first time I own a VR device, but I work in the tech industry and have played here and there with VR devices in museums and malls. I never thought I would own one as I thought it would be prohibitively expensive and the quality not as good… oh, was I mistaken! The Meta Quest 3S completely transports you to a different dimension! It transforms any space into a completely different reality and you feel you are inside! It’s just incredible! For those Marvel fans, part of this feels close to the technology Tony Stark/Ironman uses. Think of this as being inside your computer or smartphone. You use your hands or the provided controls to control/manipulate the toolbar, apps, windows and browser. In other words, it’s very intuitive to use because it’s similar to any computer/smart phone but in 3D. You’re inside selecting, for example, the “app store”, your “browser”, or the library with the list of apps/games you have installed. And once you select a game… oh boy… you’re into a completely immersive virtual reality that makes you feel you’re absolutely living inside a different world! Absolutely amazing! For gamers, this is obviously an absolute must have! But it’s not just for gamers. I love movies. And while there are apps (like “Prime Video” and “Peacock”) made for Meta Quest, I decided Not to install them due to poor reviews. However, you don’t need to! Meta Quest comes with a real browser so you can go to any website, such as Netflix, Disney+ or whatever you want. Then, using your hands or the controls, you can resize the browser to be as HUGE as you want… and the browser has a “Theater Mode” button at the top right corner that dims everything outside the browser and you have the biggest screen you can ever wish for! I can see this being a game changer when taking it in an airplane! I can’t wait to give it a try! The only drawback is that the battery lasts only about 2 hours. But it seems we can buy a headset extension that has an extra battery. There are so many things that I want to try! There’s one app with great reviews for learning new languages. Apparently not only are there recorded classes, but there are virtual gatherings all day long with real people all around the world, with the goal of practicing speaking a language! I can see how much faster it’d be to learn new languages! Drawback: I can see this becoming very addictive! I’m actually kind of glad the battery lasts only about 2 hours. I would think that being submerged in a virtual world longer than that would not be very healthy! And I can see the appeal for people to connect through a virtual world rather than the real world… exciting and scary times we’re living in!

Let me start by saying this is the first VR Headset I've used since Samsung had the Galaxy Phone VR Converter headset about 7 years ago. The Meta Quest 3S is both a testament to how far VR has come since then and a reminder that there is still room to improve before VR becomes a common place thing. When I first started up my Meta Quest 3S I was mesmerized and blown away. The see-through feature was so cool, seeing the Quest home screen in front of me but my room all around it was crazy. The controllers worked great and were easy to figure out. The hand movement detection was crazy good. It was all insanely cool.​ Being really a first time VR user (since I don't count the very little amount of time I actually used that old Galaxy Phone headset), I was glad to see that Meta created an onboarding activity that walks you through things and teaches you how to use everything. It was a great intro to help me understand how it works and get me going. I've only had the Quest 3S for a short amount of time so my review is based on my experience thus far. Overall, I am impressed with the device. It's affordable and works quite well out of the box. But trying to do specific things or trying to figure out how to set specific settings is not always intuitive and the new Meta AI Assistant is not much help with those either. Still, without really changing much, a lot of fun can be had either gaming or entering into virtual worlds where you can play games, experience live events, or meet other people​. And while viewing videos via streaming is not as simple as I wish it were, once I figured some of it out, I was wowed by the "big screen" experience I could get sitting in my dining room. Since I'm a huge fan of The Office, one of the first virtual world portals I entered was "The Office Portal." It was pretty cool and fun. No you don't get to interact with virtual Dwight or Michael. Instead you get to explore the office which is laid out exactly as it is on the show and then occasionally there are "office games" such as trying to catch bats or rescuing Angela's cats - all simple fun things based on the show. That was ​very cool​ and a lot of simple fun for my first deep delve into the virtual world. Of course, for gamers there are a ton of games available. My headset came with Batman Arkham Shadow as well as a Meta Quest+ 3 Month subscription which is a rotating list of games you get to play for free as part of the subscription. I am not much of a gamer myself, but I have never played a VR game before so did start out with the Batman game just to check it out. I can easily see how for gamers, this is an awesome experience - it's everything you love about gaming but instead of staring at a screen, you get to be IN the game. That takes some getting used to but you can set it up and play as a beginner which helps you out. It was pretty cool and definitely immersive. I was perhaps most interested in what it would be like to watch movies and stuff using the Quest 3S and especially my own 3D movies I have digital copies of since 3D TV's are no more. Unfortunately, getting those movies from my computer to the Quest is a lot more complicated than it should be. I figured I could just plug my quest into the computer and it would automatically go into "drive" mode so I could copy stuff over (like my digital video camera and most other things do) but that was not the case. In fact, I've tried a bunch of different things and got tired of trying and gave up. I did try watching a few shows and movies on Amazon Prime which I subscribe to. A reality TV show I've been watching looked pretty amazing, but when I watched a clip from The Boys it was obvious that the resolution was not what I'm used to. I tried searching to see if there's a way to change it as I could see it was only 1080P but either there isn't a way or I couldn't figure it out. The only native streaming apps are Prime & Peacock. ​However, you can use any streaming service via the Web Browser and I watched a couple of things on NetFlix and they looked great! I also used the YouTube app and YouTube streaming was never so BIG and cool - the YouTube app works excellently and was a great experience. As for productivity, I can't say I've tried to do anything productive with this yet, but it does support virtual desktops and multiple screens. But I honestly don't think I'd choose to use this over a more conventional method with actual multiple computer screens. So, my final verdict... It's not perfect, but it's quite impressive. Using the Quest 3S is easy and fairly intuitive. Getting around, using various screens, using the on-screen keyboard (with controllers or using your hands), closing and opening apps is all pretty amazing! Many of the features on this rival those of Apple's Vision Pro at a fraction of the cost. The "see through" system worked great and really surprised me. And things like drawing a virtual border in your room using "see-through" before you then go immersive so that the system can then prevent you from walking off steps or running into furniture is brilliant!​ The controllers are maybe the best of any controller I have ever used and they are SO accurate. The hand detection is honestly awe-inspiring - I am blown away by how easily I could use the VR Headset without the controllers and just use my hands to do everything when surfing the web or watching movies. I can see this being an excellent device for teenagers - It would give them the ability to have their own large screen TV in their bedroom to stream shows and stuff, play games, and visit virtual worlds. For gamers of all ages, this is a great jump into the virtual gaming world and seems to have some of the most advanced integration of any VR Headset. For productivity purposes, I think the tech has a ways to go to be practical. ​ As for me, I can see myself using this for an occasional escape both for games and virtual worlds - wielding a light saber in the Darth Vader game is definitely on the top of my list - as well as using it to surf the web or watch movies in the living room while my spouse is watching TikTok or something else. As for comfort, I would say this headset is ​somewhat comfortable to wear...for a while. And that's one of the areas where VR Headsets still have a lot of room to improve. The Quest may be one of the lightest yet and it may be overall "comfortable" but you are still wearing a big piece of technology ​and it's hanging off the front of your face. It never feels "normal" and after an hour it starts to be a bit annoying. After two hours, when I take it off, my face is screaming "thank you." Again, it's probably one of the best, but even the best is still not super comfy for long periods of time. And there's no way I would use this as my way of watching movies or TV ​for long when I have a 4K TV in my living room. Things that hopefully will be improved with updates: Easier to find and adjust settings; actual intelligence in the Meta AI to assist with using the Quest; simplified method to transfer digital movies onto quest memory. Things I hope to see if future hardware: Higher resolution screens in the affordable Quest (granted the 3 does have this for the higher price) and even lighter, more comfortable head gear (longing for the day when it feels like just putting on a ball cap and pair of glasses)! I would also say that for the price difference between the 3 and the 3S (especially the 256gb model), for an adult, it's worth the extra money for the 3 which has a higher resolution screen which would enhance the experience with everything and better cameras for the see-through. But that's not to dismiss the 3S which to me feels like the best most affordable VR Headset on the market. Although the 3S has room to improve, what META has accomplished with this is impressive. It's definitely one of the best, most advanced VR Headsets available right now. They really did what Apple couldn't do which is to make a headset that the masses can afford. I'm looking forward to spending more time with mine and discovering even more fun ways to utilize everything it has to offer, and as long as you know what you're getting going in, I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with the Meta Quest 3S.

I'm not new to VR, but it's been a while since I've gotten any new VR hardware. I was an early adopter with the first Oculus Rift Dev Kit and then the OG Oculus Rift when it finally came out (way back in 2016). That's where my VR journey has pretty much stayed over the last decade. I was always blown away by what VR could do even back then. Suffice it to say, this new experience has blown me away again. Setup was pretty easy. It's a little time consuming but I was able to get through it pretty casually with a couple kids around. Most of it is just onboarding and guidance. Since this is a standalone VR unit, there isn't a ton to set up. You download the app to your phone and it guides you through most of the steps like logging in to your Meta account (would be great if you didn't need that, but such is life). I'd say, I went through the setup steps and guidance without any issues in about 20 minutes. This setup process is a huge contrast to the old school PCVR setup with my old Oculus Rift which felt like a whole thing. Setting up tracking cameras just right and manually defining boundaries and everything. Now it's just a matter of looking around your space so it can define and save a boundary for that area. It takes seconds. Boundaries feel very disposable so you can just redefine them if they aren't perfect or your change your room at all. Then there's the color passthrough. My old rift didn't have any passthrough at all. It was crazy how putting on the headset and seeing your normal space instantly changed my brain into understanding that I can just walk around with this headset on. It took my old, dedicated room VR setup and instantly switched me over to thinking "OK, I'm free to use this anywhere I want". I feel like words don't even do it justice. I know a lot of my feelings around this headset stem from the advancements that have been made over the last 8 years but it really does feel like I'm getting into VR again for the first time. The camera quality could be a little better but when you aren't focused on anything in the real world, it kind of just blends in and feels like you're just in your old space. The big downgrade from the Quest 3 is the screens, lenses and field of view and it's definitely visible. None of it is BAD at all. But the field of view I do notice the most. It would have been nice to have it be a little wider. Otherwise, you have the same power as a Quest 3 in this bad boy. Everything feels snappy and quick and responsive. Apps like YouTube are easy to install and use. Tracking! My old rift relied on infared cameras. I had 3 of them that had to be mounted and calibrated perfectly to really work and they still lost your hands plenty of times. Now it's like it's not even a thing you need to think about. On top of the controllers working and tracking incredibly well, but you can also opt-in to just using your hands as your controller with gestures that tackle most of what you'd want to do with the controllers. You get walked through both (controllers and hands) in the onboarding guides. The included Batman: Arkham Shadow game plays and looks incredible. Really feels like the old Arkham games just in VR. Experiences like these are what make you forget you're using an entry level headset. Everything ran smoothly and looked great. A lot of comfort options to fit whatever VR legs you have. Definitely recommend checking it out since it comes with the headset. Another thing that blew me away is AirLink and SteamLink. I was initially bummed when I didn't see many of my old games and apps in my library on my Quest 3S. Then I realized that I'm using a standalone headset instead of a PCVR headset and those libraries are completely separate. There are some crossbuy games and apps but I feel like they're rare. But, fear not! Your library isn't gone. You just need to use your PC to access it. If you download the Oculus Link software and pair your headset, you can use your PCVR library, wirelessly (or wired, if you buy a Link cable), right from your Quest headset. I ran into a couple small issues when setting it up but they sorted themselves out pretty quick and once I was up and running I wouldn't have even noticed I was streaming everything from my PC instead of running it natively on my headset. But that's AirLink and it's built right into the headset so surely the SteamLink app that I downloaded onto my headset can't be that easy and nice to use.... It is! Just paired Steam from my PC with the SteamLink app on my Quest headset and I was streaming No Man's Sky and other VR games from my Steam library without any hiccups. It felt so surreal to me. I, again, wouldn't have even known I was streaming everything from my PC, wirelessly, if I didn't just set it all up. Another sorta demo is the First Encounters experience which gets your familiar with scanning your room and using it for mixed reality experiences. Scanning was pretty painless and you're given a lot of options to customize your scanned space. Add a gate that it missed and such. When you're all done, it uses the scan and started a fun little shoot'em up experience where an alien race of fuzzy creatures burst through your walls. It's mostly a demo of what kind of mixed reality experiences you can do and it's a really cool showcase. My kids also enjoyed watching me shoot up the game room while trying to catch all the fuzzy creatures. Which leads me to another note. It was incredibly painless to stream/cast my gameplay to my TV for others to view. All of these things that you'd think just have to be missing because it's a wireless, all in one headset. But no, it seems like it can pretty much do anything a PCVR headset can do at this point. Just without the cables. I'd say the only things keeping this from a 5 star review (something I give our VERY rarely, mind you) is the battery life being only an hour or 2 depending on what you're doing. It doesn't take a huge time to charge and I'm sure you could strap a battery pack to your belt and get some extra play time that way but it can feel a little short sometimes. Also, the passthrough cameras could do with a little higher resolution. And lastly, the requirement for a Meta account to do anything with the headset just feel icky. Bottom line, if you're looking to get into VR, this is a great headset to get your feet wet and not feel like you're sacrificing much at all. You could get a crisper picture and a wider FOV with a Quest 3 but you'll also pay a bit more for that so you just have to figure out what's important to you. If you're just starting out, though, you really can't go wrong with this headset.

Having lately acquired the Meta Quest 3S 256GB, I must admit that this small VR powerhouse really impresses me. This headgear seems like the ideal starting point for someone who has been fascinated about virtual reality but reluctant to delve in owing of the great expenses. Let's first address the price. Though still delivering a significant punch in terms of performance, the 256GB variant is far more wallet-friendly than its cousin, the Quest 3. Whether you are exploring alien worlds in Red Matter or chopping fruit in Fruit Ninja, the Snapdragon XR2 Gen2 processor and 8GB of RAM guarantee that games and apps work seamlessly. The full-color passthrough is one of the best aspects since it lets you view your actual surroundings without removing the helmet. This is fantastic when you have to grab a drink or make sure you won trip over your cat. Also rather amazing are the mixed reality possibilities. It felt like I was in a sci-fi film when I checked out a demo whereby little alien things were emerging from my real walls and lurking behind my furniture. Though honestly I hardly noticed during games, the display resolution (1832 x 1920 per eye) is not quite as sharp as the Quest 3. The vivid colors and the 90–120Hz refresh rate help everything to look flawless. Enough field of view—96 degrees horizontal and 90 degrees vertical—allows one to feel fully submerged in most events. Remarkably good is the battery life. Meta claims 2.5 hours on average, which, given my use, seems reasonable. For a good gaming session, it's plenty; but, for marathon VR days, you will surely want to have the charger close at hand. Now, things are not ideal exactly. The Fresnel lenses are somewhat less clear than the Pancake lenses of the Quest 3, hence you may see some god ray or a somewhat narrower With just three preset settings to choose from, the IPD change—that is, the distance between the lenses—is likewise more limited. Should your IPD be unusual, this could present problems. The head strap that is offered is passable. It gets the task done, but after an hour or two I started wishing for something a little more cosy. Fortunately, should you wish to upgrade, there are lots of outside choices. The absence of a headphone port was one item that required some adjusting. Although the built-in audio is really strong, Bluetooth headphones or a USB-C dongle will help you to have a more private experience. The controllers feel fantastic hand-held with accurate tracking and good tactile feedback. The analog sticks are a little small, though, which might be problematic for someone with bigger hands. Regarding content, there are plenty of games and applications just waiting for you. There is something for everyone from artistic tools like Vermillion to exercise experiences like Supernatural. If you enjoy productivity, you can even create virtual monitors to operate in VR; although the lower resolution results in less clarity than a genuine monitor. I'm generally having great fun with the Meta Quest 3S. This is a really affordable approach to enter VR and mixed reality without going broke. Though for most users the 3S finds a sweet spot of performance, features, and pricing, there are certain concessions compared to the more costly Quest 3. If you have been unsure about VR, the Quest 3S might be the helmet you need to persuade you at last to jump in. Just be advised – you may find it difficult to return to reality once you start exploring virtual worlds!

I confess to absolutely no experience with computer games. So giving a go at the newest VR headset was truly a test of their product usability to the neophyte. Since some of the folks reading this review might be in this category, this might lessen your concerns about "where do I start?" Unboxing and getting the Meta Quest 3S up and running was surprisingly intuitive. The packaging and instructions were clear, although the included paper “getting started’ guide had almost microscopic print. The steps were well laid out, and easy to follow, but a magnifying glass was not included. The Meta Quest eyeglass spacer worked very well, and was easy to mount to the headset. Charging up the headset was fast, and it was fully charged by the time I had downloaded the mobile phone app for Meta Horizon. Setting up a Meta account is easy, and if you already have a Facebook or Instagram account you can sign in with those. You need the Meta Account for any games, downloads, or other aspects that you wish to add to the Quest headset. The Meta Horizon app seems to be mostly to provide a credit card number because your really don’t use the phone app for the running of the headset. Once you have a game purchased, it is available in your online library of apps. Games and other programs are loaded onto the Meta Quest 3S, with generous 256 gigabytes of storage. That storage makes the headset self contained, not needing having the phone in close proximity. I found immersing in the entire VR experience quite intriguing. The augmented reality concept, seeing your living room, with floating displays of your choices in front of you, was nothing short of miraculous. I started out watching a free video from David Attenborough, who is a prominent PBS host and narrator of many natural history and ecology series. This was a brief (about 12 minutes) program about the origins of early life from the time of the Earth’s birth. The animation and 3D immersion was amazing. You really have the feeling of being undersea and turning your head in any direction seamlessly brings different vistas into view. I have been SCUBA diving many times, and indeed this brought that wonderment back for me. I next moved to a free trial of language learning from the company Immersive. You can start out for two weeks before your subscription fees start, which is where having the Meta account is needed. I have a novice capacity with Spanish, so gave that a spin. The program is very well adapted to the VR format, so much more than the audio only programs I have used in the past. The animations and the audio portions were first rate. They started with a fluency testing quiz, to help decide at which level to place you. Here I ran into a bit of a snag. The quiz was a brief conversation between two avatars, and then a series of questions about your understanding of what they were talking about. But there was no obvious way to adjust the volume of the conversation. Adjusting the volume was not obvious. And no apparent way to pause the program, so I could search for how to increase the volume. Once Immersive Language has control of the presentation, my only option was to shut down the headset, and reboot. After finding out how to increase the volume I restarted the program. It seemed a bit tedious to have to shut down, then reboot just to fine tune volume settings. Included in the bundle with the Quest 3S is the video game: Batman Arkham Shadow. As I am less than novice in video games, the controllers were completely foreign to me. Since I was alone in the room, I wasn’t concerned about looking foolish grasping in the air at imaginary objects. Having no prior knowledge of hand controllers, and having immediately forgotten the brief tutorial for the 12 or so different things that you can do, it was trial and error. Fairly quickly, I figured out what did this or that, and stumbled through my first encounter with 21st century video gaming. I was aided by having chosen the easiest and most forgiving level of play. So I could die multiple times before having to start back at the beginning. All told, I found it pretty easy to navigate the scenes, speed of walking, throwing a Molotov cocktail, etc. Also included in the purchase is a 3 month trial of Meta Quest+, with greater access to various games, add ons, etc. I’m holding that in abeyance for now, until I have a bit more experience with the headset, so that I can better optimize my 3 month subscription. But the account offers you two games a month to claim, and you own access to those 2 for as long as you are registered member of the Meta Quest+. There are also a revolving library of over 20 apps that you can use for as long as they are in the catalog. The current catalog has 26 games and VR adventures, so boredom from lack of choices is not an issue. What were my downsides? 
Battery life was pretty good. After my learning foray into the Batman game, spending probably an hour fiddling with the controls and learning how to play a video game, there was 66% battery life still present. So I would estimate a 2 to 2.5 hour run time before needing recharging. Certainly more than enough for my needs, but with 3 grandsons and passing the headset from one to another, it might be insufficient for their needs. However, there is an available extra battery headstrap attachment at the Meta store offering an additional 2 hours of headset use from the built-in battery pack. That is a purchase for the future, if the battery life seems to be an issue. A couple of times, in the home screen of the Meta Quest neighborhood, the screen that was being shown was way off the edge, visible in the corner of my view rather than straight ahead. To recenter, I shut off the headset and then restarted. I later found a simpler solution from the Meta Quest site: “To reset your view with your Touch or Touch Pro controller: Point your controller straight ahead and press and hold the Meta logo button until your view resets.” The pass through visualization, where you see the room you are in, with the headset floating screens of info, menus, choices, and directions directly ahead and wrapped around. Moving you head from side to side and up and down brings additional info screens, or more of your surroundings into view. The resolution of the pass through images of your living room is rather grainy, whereas the projected VR material is very sharp and crisp. But it allows you to reach onto the coffee table and grab your drink, and even go get a refill without crashing into furniture. Apparently prior pass through cameras were B&W, but this is full color. This graininess of the pass through is noticeable, but does not affect any of the VR experience. Having the pass through images also lessens any claustrophobia that might be an issue otherwise. Bluetooth headphones apparently can be paired, but I found the sound quality and volume levels fine. Perhaps if you were in the same room with someone else, they might find the soundtrack interrupting their concentration. While playing a game, the markings on the controllers were not displayed on the screen. So to get a clue of what button I should be using, I needed to take the headset off to read which letter or symbol was on each button. Of course, with just a bit of familiarity, it will become intuitive. Like the alphabet characters on my computer keyboard: I don’t need them most of the time, but finding the ~ key does require being able to look for it. The user interface can be counter intuitive as well, especially if you have several games or apps open, and are trying to move between them. Not a big issue, really, since I think most of my usage will be focused on one game or YouTube video, without much active switching between apps. My next forays into the Quest will be trying the fitness apps, which are some of the most popular usages. I have not embraced any social network environment, but I can see that VR might up the ante nicely for the Zoom-Face Time conversations that have become our methods of choice for keeping in touch with family and friends. From what I have read, actual workplace use of VR, as a replacement for Zoom has not taken off, despite Meta’s promoting the Workplace environment for distance group meetings. As I am retired, the lack of workplace is a blessing, not a limitation. 
 So all told, this investment hits the sweet spot of affordable, yet flexible. This will be intriguing enough for my use, and a great draw for the grandsons while they are visiting. I would not have spent $1000 (or more) for competing products, but this will work out just fine.

This is an excellent all-in-one VR headset. It’s a good upgrade over the older Quest 2 and the color passthrough is top notch. The main sacrifice you make over the Quest 3 is in the display and it’s a meaningful difference, but if you don't want to make the extra investment in the Quest 3 the Quest 3S is in a class of its own. The headset isn’t extremely heavy and feels comfortable on my face, though I definitely felt some fatigue about an hour into my play sessions with all of the weight on the front of my face. The included fabric strap is comfortable and pretty easy to adjust, but I think the Elite Strap or some similar 3rd party accessory is an essential purchase for this and really helps out with the long term comfort. The Touch Plus controllers are similar to the ones that were included with the Quest Pro, though they do not have built-in batteries (they run on AA’s) and don’t have inbuilt tracking like the Quest Pro’s controllers did. They’re comfortable to hold though and I haven’t had any issues with tracking since I’ve been using them. The display is the same as the one that was on the Quest 2. It doesn’t look bad, but having come from previously using pancake lenses on the Quest Pro I can definitely say the Fresnel lenses are of a noticeably lower quality by comparison and the sharpness falloff on the peripheral of my vision can be distracting at times. There are also only 3 fixed adjustments for the IPD and I feel like my ideal adjustment is somewhere in between them. If VR is a sometimes thing for you this is easy to live with, but if it’s going to be an everyday thing for you I think it’s worth investing in the higher end non-S model for the pancake lenses alone. The color passthrough is excellent and I love that there is a button on the headset that will quickly switch you between VR and AR. I wouldn’t say it looks ‘natural’, but it’s much much better than what I’ve experienced on the Quest Pro and I’m able to walk around and do pretty much everything with it on, including looking at my phone and watching TV. The general interface on the Quest 3S is easy to use and navigate using both my hands and the controllers. I really like how the sensors in the headsets can now automatically map out the room and define play areas so that no longer needs to be done manually. You don’t need a Facebook account to use the Quest, which is nice, but you will need to sign up for a Meta account. Playing games so far has been a great experience. The bundle I got included Batman Arkham Shadow, which is not just an excellent VR game but an excellent Batman Arkham game. You’ve got all the classic hits like Beat Saber and you also get 6 months of Meta Quest+, which gives you access to even more games. The Snapdragon XR2 processor isn’t going to match for a dedicated PC for VR, but it delivers some pretty impressive experiences for an all-in-one headset and you can still use the Quest 3S with a PC via a dedicated cable or wireless link. The headset has built-in speakers that sound pretty good, though they don’t quite measure up in the more immersive experiences and I’d recommend pairing some headphones. The Quest 3S doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio jack, but the USB-C port does support audio output and can use a 3.5mm adapter. I’ve been getting around 2 hours of battery life using the Quest 3S and I’d consider that to be adequate since being in VR for much longer than that makes me a bit nauseous anyway. The Quest 3S does include a USB-C charging cable and adapter, though I do wish the included cable was a little bit longer - it’s only about 3ft long. Overall I’m very happy with the Quest 3S. If you’re looking to get into VR for the first time and not sure if it’s going to be for you this is the one to get. For anyone more serious about VR the non-S model might be the better buy.

The Meta Quest 3 is an outstanding VR headset that takes virtual reality to the next level. With its sleek design, improved performance, and higher resolution, it offers an incredibly immersive experience that is hard to beat. The visuals are sharp and vibrant, making everything from games to virtual environments feel more lifelike. The enhanced processing power ensures smooth gameplay, and the expanded field of view adds a new level of depth to your experience. The comfort is also a major highlight. With a more ergonomic design and adjustable features, it's easier to wear for longer periods without discomfort. Plus, the wireless freedom makes it so much more convenient compared to other VR systems that rely on tethering. Whether you're a seasoned VR enthusiast or just getting started, the Meta Quest 3 offers something for everyone—amazing graphics, easy setup, and a truly immersive experience. If you're in the market for a new VR headset, the Quest 3 is definitely worth considering.

I am really enjoying the new Meta Quest 3S. As someone who bought the Oculus Quest 2, which then became the Meta Quest 2, I have noticed some nice upgrades. Roughly half of the upgrades come from the package I have versus noticeable upgrades in equipment. Upgrades: The biggest upgrade I’ve noticed is the Color Passthrough. I can now see my surroundings in full color, albeit a bit grainy. I am able to read notifications on my phone and watch without removing the headset, which is also great! Of course, Face ID doesn’t work with the headset but if you have a fingerprint sensor to unlock your phone you are golden. As I mentioned, it’s a bit grainy but it gets the job done. I can see where things are and who is around. Sometimes when I am immersed in virtual reality I wonder if someone in the family is entertaining themselves by watching me swing my arms and move awkwardly around. This set came with Batman Arkham Shadow for free which is a fun game and saves money if you would’ve purchased a game like this separately. It also comes with 3 free months of Meta Quest+. I am finding that this is a great way to discover new games and to add to your game collection without additional cost, at least for 3 months. My unit also has 256GB of storage which is a welcome upgrade from the Quest 2 which only has 64GB. The processor is also 3-4 generations newer than my Oculus 2. Pretty Similar: I will say that I was a bit disappointed that some things remain largely the same from the Quest 2. Don’t expect a huge upgrade in graphics - if that is what you are after, you’ll want the Meta Quest 3 (without the “S”). The 3S also uses the same “pancake” lens style as the older versions. This just means there is more of a sweet spot looking straight on. If you keep your head stationary and move just your eyes the surroundings will become a bit blurred. The Quest 3 uses a different lens that keeps things more clear. The bottom line is the Meta Quest 3S is an iterative upgrade from the 2. You get the Batman game, 3 months of Quest+, updated controllers, a faster processor, and the Color Passthrough. It’s somewhat like upgrading your phone from the 15 to the 16. For some, the upgrades I mentioned will be well worth it, for some it won’t. If you don’t have a VR/MR unit at all you will love the Meta Quest 3S! If you have the Quest 2, there are some nice features that you may want to upgrade to but the Meta Quest 3 might be a better choice for you.

The Meta Quest 3 strikes an excellent balance between performance, comfort, and innovation. While it’s priced higher than previous models, the enhanced features and overall experience make it a worthwhile investment for VR enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Highly recommended for those looking to explore the future of virtual and mixed reality

The Meta Quest 3 is an impressive step forward in VR. The visuals are sharper, mixed reality feels seamless, and performance is smooth even during demanding apps. Setup is simple, and hand-tracking is more accurate than before. While the headset is slightly heavier, comfort remains decent. Overall, it’s a versatile, immersive upgrade that makes VR more engaging and practical.

With the exception of PSVR, all of my main VR experiences have been through Meta. I've owned the Rift, Quest, and Quest 2. The Quest 2 became my benchmark for ease of use, no room set-up, and overall casual use. The Quest 3 intrigued me, but I couldn't justify the price jump for my usage, especially since I was still satisfied with the experience of my Quest 2. Then I received the 3S, and this has enhanced my experience exponentially! From the first power up, I noticed the improvements in hardware and software. Better hand tracking, better obstacle avoidance and barrier creation, and my favorite, the RGB passthrough. It makes AR experiences so much more immersive. As you may have read, the visual experience is almost identical as the Quest 2. For me, that is not an issue, as I still feel the Quest 2's visuals are excellent. What I do notice is a slight bump in "smoothness" in more resource hungry applications which shows the processor and extra memory are being put to work! Another major improvement is connectivity. With the Quest 2, I had so many issues connecting/reconnecting between systems. The 3S was one shot. Mobile and PC. Not a single issue on first set-up and none since. Including Steam VR. One factor that will pull me deeper into VR is the ease in which I can use it across multiple platforms and entertainment mediums. The 3S is indeed checking more and more boxes. Here's a small irritation, the side anchors for the straps are just a smidgen smaller, so I will need to buy a new elite strap in the future. Grrrr! You could have given me that bone. Ah well. You have read "beginner headset" or "starter VR," but I challenge that notion. The 3S is recommended for anyone looking for a great VR/entertainment experience, which is myself. While I'm still keeping my Quest 2 around for back-up and travel, the 3S has done more than enough to become my main player. If you are looking to update your Quest 2 but can't justify the 3, this will absolutely fill that void with no regrets.