I’ve been covering VR headsets ever since Oculus released its first Rift development kit 12 years ago, and I’ve been watching the field develop ever since. It’s now easier than ever to try out VR thanks to self-contained standalone headsets that don’t need any PC, sensor beacons, or other devices to work, and during Prime Big Deal Days it’s cheaper than ever, too. My top pick for entry-level VR headsets, the Meta Quest 3S, is on sale for $50 off, down to $250 from its usual $300 price.
The Meta Quest 3S comes with everything you need for a full VR experience, which is just the headset itself and its two motion controllers. Put it on your head, set it up through your phone using the Meta Horizon mobile app, and start playing. It has a resolution of 1,832 by 1,920 pixels per eye with a 120Hz refresh rate, supports full six-degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) movement tracking that lets you physically move around a space you define, has color pass-through cameras for augmented reality and mixed reality that uses your surroundings, and it uses the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor as its pricier sibling the $500 Meta Quest 3. In fact, it can run every game and app the Quest 3 can, and that’s a pretty huge library thanks to years of third-party developers working on the platform. It’s a great headset that earned 4.5 stars and our Editors’ Choice award just like the Quest 3. In fact, the only major upgrade the Quest 3 offers is a slightly sharper picture, and that’s not worth paying twice as much.
Meta Quest 3S
Meta Quest 3S
The Meta Quest 3S is easily the cheapest and easiest way to try standalone VR
$249.00
at Amazon
$299.99
Save $50.99
This deal is for the Quest 3S with 128GB of storage. There’s also a 256GB version that includes Batman: Arkham Shadow, and it too is on sale, for $329, down from $399. If you’ve been considering trying out VR, the Meta Quest 3S is the headset to get, especially now that it’s on sale for Prime Big Deal Days. It’s cheap, full-featured, and easy to use, and well worth $250.
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About Our Expert
Will Greenwald
Principal Writer, Consumer Electronics
Experience
I’m PCMag’s home theater and AR/VR expert, and your go-to source of information and recommendations for game consoles and accessories, smart displays, smart glasses, smart speakers, soundbars, TVs, and VR headsets. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and THX-certified home theater technician, I’ve served as a CES Innovation Awards judge, and while Bandai hasn’t officially certified me, I’m also proficient at building Gundam plastic models up to MG-class. I also enjoy genre fiction writing, and my urban fantasy novel, Alex Norton, Paranormal Technical Support, is currently available on Amazon.