Images of the upcoming Meta Quest 3S VR headset have leaked, revealing key details about the device. It’s not the first time Meta’s ‘more accessible’ version of the Meta Quest 3 has leaked, but this time around, we’ve got the first clear and complete images of the device.
From the pictures provided, it seems that the Meta Quest 3S is missing a port that has been present on every other Meta Quest VR headset.
Another Solution is Needed
If you’re used to running a headset that utilises a traditional 3.5mm audio input, you’ll be left wanting with the Meta Quest 3S. In the recently leaked images, it seems that the headset doesn’t have this port, and instead, users will need to adapt, opting for a USB-C headset that’ll negate any chances of charging the headset while using it.
The leaked images were first covered by UploadVR, who also noted that the battery capacity of the Meta Quest 3S had been discovered. It’s a midpoint between the Quest 2 and the Quest 3, sitting at 16.7Wh, while the Quest 3 has an 18.9Wh battery and the Meta Quest Pro – the top-of-the-range device – has a 20.6Wh battery.
None of them is a patch on Apple Vision Pro’s 35.9Wh battery, but they’re a fraction of the price, so do with that what you will.
In the leaked images, we’re led to believe that the controllers for the Meta Quest 3S are the same as the Quest 3’s Touch Plus controllers, but most of the technology is comparable to the Quest 2, released back in 2020.
There’s a variation in the camera array on the visor of the Quest 3S, which contributes to the full-colour passthrough capabilities of the unit, and while it uses the same chipset as the Quest 3, it utilises ‘legacy’ fresnel lenses and the same panel as the Quest 2, which helps to bring the price point down.
It’ll be cheaper than the Quest 3, but as it’s more accessible, it’s also not as good, boasting a lower resolution but offering the same content and controllers as the Quest 3, which was released in October 2023.
Will the Meta Quest 3S be the headset that gets you into VR gaming?
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