The Meta Quest 3S also relies on the Quest 2’s fresnel lens system instead of the pancake lenses used by the Quest 3. I won’t get into the weeds of how these lenses differ technically, but know that fresnel lenses are bulkier and cause blurriness at the fringes of your field of view.

The Meta Quest 2 is four years old, first launched as the Oculus Quest 2 before Meta bought the VR headset company. Until now, it was our budget recommendation if you were interested in VR without committing too much money.

Meta’s latest play to get you into VR is a cheaper VR headset almost as capable as the $500 Quest 3. The Quest 3S brings some but not all of the top features of the more expensive headset. Compared to the Quest 2,

The Meta Quest 3S is here, delivering Meta Quest 3 graphics and games at the magic $299 price. But is it any good? I've spent a week with it to let you know.

The Meta Quest 2 has been a faithful VR companion to many, but here's why it's time to make the jump to mixed reality with the Quest 3S.