Few companies are providing better value for money in the VR space than Meta. The Meta Quest line of VR headsets makes for an excellent blend of standalone and PC gaming in virtual reality, truly giving you the best of both worlds. With the Quest 2’s high popularity, the Meta Quest 3S provides a true upgrade from the 2020 headset – and it’s now available at a great price.
While it’s not as powerful and impressive as the Meta Quest 3, the budget Meta headset is one of the best VR headsets on the market. With great performance from its Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, providing a huge improvement over the previous headset, the Quest 3S allows you to play some of the best VR games available – including those that were exclusive to Meta’s premium option.
Admittedly, it does have some shortcomings, such as the return of Fresnel lenses removing some of the clarity that the Quest 3’s pancake lenses offer, or the stepped inter pupillary distance (IPD) adjustment, but it’s still a spectacular headset. In my Meta Quest 3S review, I said that the headset is the “true successor to the Quest 2.”, calling it an “excellent budget VR headset”, considering the surprisingly great price point.
It’s a device I’d happily pay full price for again, but at a discount, it’s a must-have for anyone even somewhat interested in virtual reality. Fortunately, Best Buy has currently got the 256GB model of the Meta Quest 3S at just $349.99, a huge $50 saving from the retail price. While the 128GB model doesn’t have a similar offering, the higher storage means you won’t have to delete games as often.
As part of the current offers from Meta, any new purchase of a Quest 3S (or the older, premium Quest 3 model) will net you a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow and a three-month trial of the Quest+ subscription service. For fans or newcomers alike, Batman: Arkham Shadow truly makes you feel like the Caped Crusader, turning the fast-paced Arkham combat into a rhythm-style gameplay loop that works fantastically in VR.
Unfortunately, there’s no similar offer for potential VR gamers in the UK. However, you can grab the latest headset over on Amazon, and even at retail price, it’s a great purchase. I’ve been writing about virtual reality for years, and the Quest 3 family offer some of the best options on the market, with the 3S making for a remarkably accessible choice – much like the Quest 2 did almost over four years ago.
So, if you’ve been looking to dive into a new reality – say, the virtual reality – this Meta Quest 3S deal is a must-have. And, if you find yourself enjoying the immersion of VR, I suggest saving up for the best gaming PC you can buy, to play a huge variety of titles found only when connected to your desktop. In fact, some of the greatest VR experiences also make the best PC games, so it’s definitely worth thinking about.