Meta Quest 3S VR headset surfaces on certification site, launch possible soon

The Meta Quest 3S is said to be an affordable version of the company’s Quest 3 headset, and while the company has yet to confirm the existence of such a device, it has reportedly been listed on a certification website. Meta was previously rumored to be working on a more premium offering than the Meta Quest 3 to compete with Apple’s Vision Pro headset, but a recent report suggests that the company has scrapped that plan and will instead focus on developing a cheaper, more affordable alternative.

New Meta Quest Headset Spotted on DEKRA Certification Website

A new VR headset from Meta has been released mentioned on the DEKRA certification website. No other information than the company name and product type has been confirmed in the listing. It is speculated that it is the expected Meta Quest 3S AR/VR (augmented reality/virtual reality) headset. It is worth noting that this name has not been confirmed by the company, but has appeared in previous leaks.

Meta Quest 3S launch timeline, price (expected)

In a recent edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested that the Meta Quest 3S could be unveiled at the Meta Connect conference, scheduled for September 25-26. It is expected to be priced at $300 (roughly Rs. 25,100) or $400 (roughly Rs. 33,500).

The existing Meta Quest 3 was launched in June 2023, with a starting price of $499.99 (roughly Rs. 41,200) for the 128GB option. The higher-end 512GB version costs $649.99 (54,500). Gurman claimed in his newsletter that a move to launch a cheaper mixed reality headset like the rumored Meta Quest 3S could put Meta at an advantageous position against rival Apple.

For reference, Apple’s Vision Pro starts at a hefty $3,500 (roughly Rs. 2,93,500) for the 128GB option. The 512GB and 1TB variants cost $3,699 (roughly Rs. 3,10,300) and $3,899 (roughly Rs. 3,27,000), respectively.

The aforementioned newsletter added that the alleged Meta Quest 3S could likely ship without controllers. Even if some headsets do ship with controllers in the box, they likely wouldn’t be the same ones we get with the Meta Quest 3.