Meta Quest 3 is perhaps the quintessential VR headset in 2024, but not everyone agrees with the price tag. Sure, it’s cheaper than Apple Vision Pro, but what isn’t? In welcome news, the Facebook parent company has seemingly confirmed its next device after Quest 3S leaked onto Meta Store, raising hopes for a budget Quest 2 successor.
Tucked away on the Alo Moves XR store page, you’ll notice that the VR game lists Meta Quest 3S as a compatible device. This isn’t an isolated incident, either, as UploadVR notes that other listings followed suit. The brand might play whack-a-mole to curb the situation but the store still mentions it at the time of writing. Besides, the cat’s out of the bag now anyway.
We’ve spoken a lot about Meta Quest 3S throughout 2024, but the main expectation is that it’s a more value-driven current-generation headset. Early leaks gave us our first look (seen above), and I personally feel the front cameras have a more Splinter Cell vibe than Meta’s other options. A lot could have changed between then and now, however, so it’s worth taking the rumours in stride.
More modern leaks suggest it should work with all the same games as Quest 3. After all, it reportedly contains an identical Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset. It’ll likely make cutbacks in other areas to trim the price tag. These could come in the form of lower-spec lenses with a smaller 1832×1920 resolution per eye. They might even see the return of fresnel lenses over pancake. If true, this could impact the weight of the standalone headset whenever you’re disconnected from the best graphics card, as frensel has a thicker optical profile.
With an official name in the books, it can’t be too much longer until Meta truly lifts the lid. We don’t yet know when the brand will release its headset, but we might hear more at Computex 2024. Keep your eyes peeled next week as we take to the showfloor in Taipei.