If you’ve got wished to offer VR gaming a attempt however the price of entry has stored you at bay, then you definitely may be within the first nice Meta Quest deal for 2025. For a restricted time, Best Buy is taking $50 off the Quest 3S 256GB VR headset, now solely $349.99. But that is not all. You additionally get a bonus $50 Best Buy present card and 1 month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate totally free. That primarily brings the value all the way down to the identical stage as the bottom 128GB mannequin.
To sweeten the pot much more, the bundle additionally features a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow VR sport and a three-month trial of Meta Quest+. In IGN’s 8/10 evaluation, Dan Stapleton wrote that “Batman: Arkham Shadow makes many of the Arkham collection’ defining gameplay work respectably effectively in VR, and its thriller story pays off.”
Meta Quest 3S VR Headset with Batman: Arkham Shadow
Meta Quest 3S 256GB VR Headset + Bonus $50 Best Buy Gift Card
The Quest 3S is an enchancment over the unique Quest 2 in each manner and, amazingly, with no value improve. It additionally adopts lots of the similar options of the dearer Quest 3, like the brand new and improved Touch controllers, the upgraded SnapDragon APU, and assist for full coloration AR passthrough. In IGN’s 9/10 Quest 3S evaluation, Gabriel Moss wrote that “uncooked processing energy, full-color passthrough, and snappy Touch Plus controllers make the Quest 3S a improbable standalone VR headset that additionally brings entry-level mixed-reality gaming to the plenty for – arguably – the very first time.
What actually units this deal above all different VR offers is that the Meta Quest 3S might be performed fully untethered. That means you may play video games like Beat Saber or Pistol Whip with out having to personal a strong gaming PC or a PlayStation 5 console. Try to search out one other standalone VR headset at this value and you will come up empty.
How Is the Quest 3S Different from the Quest 3?
Even at retail value, the Quest 3S is available in at $200, or 40% cheaper than the $500 Quest 3. Obviously, some compromises have been made to get the 3S to its aggressive value level. The spec comparisons are listed beneath:
Quest 3S vs. Quest 3 Similarities
- Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor
- Touch Plus controllers
- 120Hz refresh charge
- Mixed actuality passthrough (similar cameras, totally different format)
Quest 3S vs. Quest 3 Differences
- Lower per-eye decision (1832×1920 vs 2064×2208)
- Fresnel lens vs. pancake lens
- Lower FOV (96°/90° vs 104°/96°)
- Smaller storage capability (128GB vs 512GB)
- Longer battery life (2.5hrs vs 2.2hrs)
In essence, the Quest 3S is sort of the identical headset however with downgraded optics. On the plus aspect, since each headsets use the identical processor, operating at a decrease decision reduces the load on the APU, which might theoretically enhance efficiency in video games and likewise account for the elevated battery life.
For the value, the Quest 3S is certainly a greater worth than the Quest 3, and a more sensible choice for many players, particularly if the Quest 3 was fully out of your price range within the first place. Compared to the earlier technology Quest 2, the choice is even simpler.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce supervisor accountable for discovering one of the best gaming and tech offers daily. When Eric is not attempting to find offers for different individuals at work, he is attempting to find offers for himself throughout his free time.
