Meta Quest 3 vs Meta Quest 3S — Which is better?

So you know you want a Meta Quest... you're just not sure which version. Quest 3, or Quest 3S?

What does that "S" stand for? Super? Special? It's the newest one, does that mean it's the best one?

While it's by no means the official answer, you can pretend that the "S" stands for "Savings". The Quest 3S is very similar to the Quest 3, with some changes made to cut down the cost. The Quest 3 starts at $500, while the 3S starts at $300.

Both devices run the same chipset, have the same storage options, and the same amount of DRAM. The controllers that come with each are identical. With that said, there are still some pretty significant upsides to the 3 to justify the roughly $200 price difference.

Here's what's better about the Quest 3:

- Higher resolution: The Quest 3 has a resolution of 2064 x 2208; the Quest 3S has a resolution of 1832 x 1920. Higher resolution = better picture.

- Higher Field of View (FOV): Field of View determines how much of the in-game world you can see at once; larger FOV = a more realistic, more immersive experience. The FOV on the Quest 3 (110 horizontal / 96 vertical) is a bit higher than that of the 3S (96 horizontal / 90 vertical.)

- Better lenses: The Quest 3 uses "pancake" lenses; the Quest 3S uses an older-style Fresnel lens also found on the Quest 2. The difference is more noticeable blur around the edges of your view.

- Headphone jack: The Quest 3 has a 3.5mm headphone jack, while the 3S does not. You can still use Bluetooth headphones with the 3S, but that headphone jack is a very nice option if you've already got a great pair of wired headphones.

The Quest 3S is a solid offering for anyone just looking to get a taste of VR — but if you're looking to spend a lot of time in the headset, of the two options you probably want the Quest 3.

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