Very few people, if any, can pull off wearing a virtual reality headset without looking a little daft. This is less a reflection on the user and more on the design of devices themselves, with Meta’s Quest series proving no exception. Now, as the first alleged photograph of Quest 3S emerges, its appearance is inviting strong opinions.
For those out of the loop, Quest 3S is likely the next VR headset from Meta. As its name suggests, it’ll share many similarities with Quest 3 but target a lower price point with cutdown specs. Up until now, we’d only seen the device via renders but it doesn’t appear that its design much has changed since those images appeared.
In a post on X, user ZGFTech shared what appears to be the first snap of Quest 3S in the wild. While they’re sadly short on additional technical details, we expect it won’t be long before we see leaks of that nature. To air on the side of optimism, this could also be a sign that Meta is getting closer to launching the headset. The company did leak its existence via its own store, after all.
What we can glean from this photograph is that Quest 3S should feature a different camera array. In place of the three stadium-shaped cutouts on Quest 3, we have six circular perforations split into two groups on either side of the faceplate. These allegedly house several camera types, including those responsible for IR tracking, passthrough, and depth sensors.
Response to the design has prompted disparaging comparisons to the triple camera array found on some iPhones. I’ll admit, the two are very similar looking at this photograph. This wasn’t the first reference that came to mind, though. My brain instead immediately went to the goggles worn by some of Cyberpunk 2077’s police department. Damien’s gravitated to Sam Fischer’s Splinter Cell and DC’s Braniac. The bottom line is that it isn’t the most original.
Some aren’t vibing with the look of Quest 3S, but it doesn’t bother me. I frankly couldn’t care less about the external appearance of a VR headset since I’ll no doubt look ridiculous to those outside of my virtual reality regardless of what I’m wearing. What matters is what’s on the inside, as that’ll be what ultimately makes or breaks Meta’s drive to boost sales with a budget alternative.
Quest 3S could be just what budget virtual reality gamers like myself have been waiting for. Until Meta is ready to share more about the device, I’ll happily continue making a fool of myself with a Quest 2 strapped to my face. Beat Saber won’t play itself.