Upon its release in 2020, we were blown away with the Meta Quest 2 and gave the headset a glowing five-star review. Now, four years later, how does the recently announced Meta Quest 3S compare?
While we haven’t reviewed the Quest 3S yet, we have compared the specs of the upcoming headset to the Quest 2 and noted the key differences here.
Keep reading to learn more about the Quest 3S compared to the Quest 2 and decide whether it’s worth upgrading to the newer model.
| Meta Quest 3S | Meta Quest 2 | |
| UK RRP | £289.99 | £299 |
| USA RRP | $299.99 | £300 |
| Manufacturer | Meta | Meta |
| Processor | Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 | Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Battery Cell | 4324mAh | 3640mAh |
| Resolution | 1832 x 1920 | 1832 x 1920 |
Price
Currently available for pre-order, the Quest 3S has a starting RRP of £289.99/$299.99 and is available in 128GB or 256GB storage options.
The Meta Quest 2 was initially launched under the name Oculus Quest 2 in 2020. It was then rebranded to Meta Quest 2 after Facebook’s Meta rebrand. Previously available in storage sizes of 64GB, 128GB or 256GB, the Quest 2’s RRP has fluctuated between a more budget-friendly £299/$300 up to £399/$400. However, at the time of writing the Quest 2 has been discontinued and so it can no longer be purchased from most retailers.
The Quest 3S runs on Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
Like the Quest 3, the Quest 3S runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor whereas the Quest 2 runs on Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1.
Although we haven’t tested the Quest 3S’ performance power, Meta promises the chipset boasts “double the graphic processing power of Quest 2” which means even complex games should play “smoother with crisper details.”
The Quest 3S also promises “lightning-fast performance” that brings “details to life”.
We noted in our Quest 2 review that the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 chipset, although more powerful than the chip found in the original Quest headset, is still mobile-grade. With this in mind, we are especially keen to experience the improvement with the Quest 3S.
The Quest 3S has a better resolution and colour
The Quest 3S boasts the same mixed reality experience as the Quest 3 (despite being a cheaper headset), with 4.5 times the resolution and colour compared to the Quest 2.
Meta explains that this improvement helps virtual objects “come to life in the room around you in high-definition resolution,” which allows for immersive experiences that feel real with “brilliant colour and rich surround sound.”
The Quest 3S has full-colour passthrough
Full-colour passthrough is found on both the Quest 3 and Quest Pro headsets, and will also feature on the Quest 3S.
Passthrough allows you to step outside the immersive view in your headset to see a real-time view of your surroundings. While the Quest 2’s passthrough is greyscale, the Quest 3S has a full-colour passthrough for a more true-to-life experience.
The Quest 3S actually has the same full-colour passthrough as the Quest 3, at 4 MP, 18 PPD. Considering we were impressed with the Quest 3’s passthrough and found that it was to blend the real and the virtual worlds seamlessly into one landscape, this bodes well for the upcoming Quest 3S.
The Quest 3S has a bigger battery
With a 3640mAh battery capacity, the Quest 2 lasts for just over two hours of playtime or up to three hours for video content. While it is possible to keep playing with the headset plugged into a power source, the included charging cable is too short, so this will need to be factored in as an extra expense.
On the other hand, the Quest 3S has a larger 4324mAh battery cell which Meta confirms should provide a 2.5-hour runtime. Although we haven’t tested this ourselves, this is the same runtime found on the much more expensive Meta Quest Pro.
The Quest 3S is compatible with Quest 3 exclusive apps
Meta says that the Quest 3S will be compatible with the full library of Meta apps and games, which includes those exclusive to the Quest 3.
In fact, games that received performance updates that were specific to the Quest 3 will also work on the Quest 3S.
Early Verdict
With a new processor, improved battery life and an overall better resolution, on paper the Quest 3S represents a solid upgrade to the Quest 2. With that being said, we haven’t reviewed the former headset yet so we’ll hold off from giving a conclusive verdict until it’s been thoroughly tested.
