A leaked photo of an unreleased Meta VR headset, possibly called the Quest 3S, has been discovered by sharp-eyed Redditors in the official Meta Quest Link PC software. This new headset is speculated to be a more affordable version of the Meta Quest 3, with some features omitted to lower the price.
The Quest 3S showcases front-facing cameras and sensors arranged in a unique two triangular clusters, giving it a distinctive “spider-eyes” look. Compared to the Quest 3, the leaked image suggests that the Quest 3S will be larger in size, more similar to the dimensions of the Meta Quest 2. There are rumors indicating that the Quest 3S will replace the Quest 2, which was first released in 2020 and is currently priced at $199 with limited availability, hinting at a possible discontinuation.
It is anticipated that the Quest 3S will be priced lower than the Quest 3, which starts at $499. While it is possible that the budget-friendly headset will be equipped with the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset, it may also utilize the less expensive fresnel lenses found in the Quest 2. Moreover, the Quest 3S might not include the Touch Plus Controllers that accompany the Quest 3, instead relying on integrated eye- and hand-tracking for user interaction (although the controllers could be bought separately).
The leak of the Quest 3S precedes Meta Connect 2024, Meta’s annual conference scheduled for September 25-26. It is anticipated that Meta will unveil the Quest 3S during this event, along with new Meta Ray-Bans.
Despite attempts to reach out to Meta for comments, representatives have not responded as of yet.