The Meta Quest 3 established new VR standards when it launched but its premium pricing kept virtual reality aspirational rather than accessible for mainstream buyers. Meta addressed this barrier by releasing the Quest 3S as a lighter and more affordable variant that maintains core functionality while cutting costs through strategic compromises that most users won’t notice during actual gameplay.
Right now, the Quest 3S costs $249 for the 128GB model during Black Friday on Amazon, down from $299, which makes this the best entry point into modern VR without the $499 Quest 3 investment. The aggressive pricing combined with complete wireless freedom and instant access to 40-plus games creates exceptional value that explains why the 3S outsells its premium sibling.
Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 That Works Well
Qualcomm’s newest XR-specific silicon is optimized for the unique computational needs of virtual reality and it gives the processor twice the graphical processing power of the previous Quest 2 generation. Games load quickly so you don’t have to wait around like you did with older headsets and complex scenes render smoothly at high frame rates, which is important for avoiding motion sickness.
The next-generation graphics make the visuals almost as good as those on the PlayStation 5 and they do it in standalone wireless headset form factors, which means you don’t need a gaming PC like you did with older VR systems, which were expensive and hard to use. The performance is good enough for demanding games like realistic simulators, fast-paced shooters and detailed adventure games that would stutter or crash on hardware that isn’t powerful enough.
The 8GB of RAM is 33% more than what most budget VR headsets offer: This makes it easier to switch between VR environments, load textures with more detail without pop-in, and generally make the game more responsive. With more memory, developers can make more ambitious experiences with bigger worlds, more things on screen at once, and better graphics without having to make the trade-offs that come with limited RAM.
The freedom of wireless technology gets rid of the cords that made early VR systems so annoying: Players had to always be aware of where the cords were so they wouldn’t trip or pull on the headsets while playing. During room-scale VR experiences for instance, you can move naturally through physical spaces. In shooters, you can spin 360 degrees to track enemies from all directions. This makes setup much easier and lets you use VR anywhere, not just in dedicated gaming rooms.
The two RGB color cameras let you see everything in full color and mix virtual objects with your real-world surroundings through mixed reality experiences. You can see your real furniture, walls, and surroundings in color, and virtual objects look like they belong there. This lets you play games that interact with real spaces. With passthrough, you can clearly see the real world instead of the grainy black-and-white feeds that made earlier systems confusing.
The Gorilla Tag bundle gives Quest 3S buyers special in-game items and 1,000 shiny rocks currency: This makes the social VR game even more valuable, and it’s become a huge hit. Instead of using traditional joystick controls, Gorilla Tag uses arm-swinging locomotion to simulate how gorillas move. This gives the game a unique physicality that makes it very popular even though the graphics are simple.
The included three-month trial gives you instant access to more than 40 games which means you won’t have to pay for software right after you buy new hardware. You can try out different types of VR experiences, like action games, creative tools, fitness apps, and social platforms, without spending hundreds of dollars on software before you know what types of games you like.
The battery lasts for more than two hours which is enough for most gaming sessions without needing to stop and charge in the middle of a game, which breaks immersion. However, for longer marathon sessions, you’ll need to use a power bank or take breaks to charge. The runtime is long enough for most people who play for 30 to 90 minutes, which is about the same as the average attention span for active VR gameplay, which is more physically engaging than passive screen entertainment.
Meta’s current-generation VR technology costs less than many game consoles at the record-low price of $249 on Black Friday. If you’ve been curious about virtual reality but didn’t want to pay a lot for it, this deal makes modern VR possible at prices that make it worth it to try.
