And it’s gone – the discontinued Meta Quest 3 model is already sold out online
With the Meta Quest 3S coming, we learned that three Quest headsets are being discontinued, including the 128GB Meta Quest 3, to make way for the new, more affordable model. Less than a day after this announcement, Meta has already sold out of them in the US and Australia – at the time of writing, it is still available to buy at Meta.com in the United Kingdom.
A quick glance at external retailers reveals that the 128GB Quest 3 – which now costs just $429.99 / £409.99 / AU$799.99 – isn’t completely sold out yet, but with Meta.com starting to dry up, I expect it won’t be long before the headset is gone for good.
So take this as your final prompt to grab one while you can. Right now, the Meta Quest 3 is the VR headset I’d buy if I didn’t already own one, thanks to its combination of a fairly low price, great specs, and comfortable design. Even for VR gaming, 128GB goes a long way, as app sizes are quite small, so more storage isn’t a necessity.
The only negative is that you don’t get a free copy Batman: Arkham Shadowbut you can also buy it separately if you absolutely have to play the VR superhero game when it comes out in October.
It’s sold out, what should I do now?
If you’re reading this after the Meta Quest 3 128GB model is completely sold out in your country, what would I recommend you buy instead? Well, either the 512GB Quest 3 model or the new 128GB Meta Quest 3S.
The Quest 3S isn’t a significant downgrade, but there are a few factors to consider when considering your options.
The chipset and RAM are the same, but you’ll have to make do with a less sharp 1832 x 1920 per-eye display instead of the Quest 3’s 2064 x 2208 pixel per-eye displays. And despite being 1g lighter, the Meta Quest 3S is larger, with Meta saying it’s only 20% thinner than the Quest 2 compared to 40% for the Quest 3 itself, which will have an impact on comfort.
The 3S also lacks the depth sensor of the Quest 3, meaning mixed reality experiences are slightly less accurate since the headset only uses cameras and software.
But at just $299.99 / £289.99 / AU$499.99, the Quest 3S is a very tempting prospect, despite its drawbacks. For more in-depth info on both the Quest 3 and Quest 3S, check out our Meta Quest 3 review and our hands-on Meta Quest 3S review.
