Virtual reality is slowly carving out its place in the tech world, but let’s be honest: it’s still a niche market. If you’re curious about VR and mixed reality, dropping $4,000 on an Apple Vision Pro that has limited content and unclear use cases doesn’t make much sense. Your better bet is going with the company that’s been all-in on VR from the beginning: Meta.
The Quest 3S represents the most affordable entry point into Meta’s VR ecosystem, and for Prime Big Deal Day, Amazon is offering an exclusive Cardboard Hero Bundle at $299: This package includes the headset plus the Handiwork Helmet, Handiwork Armor, and 1,000 shiny rocks for Gorilla Tag, adding $45 worth of in-game content to sweeten the deal + three months of Meta Horizon Plus at no cost.
The Quest 3S bridges the gap between pure virtual reality and the real world through mixed reality capabilities. This means you can blend digital objects into your actual environment, playing games where virtual characters interact with your furniture or working on multiple virtual screens while still seeing your room. The headset uses passthrough cameras to show you your surroundings in high-definition resolution, which makes the experience feel natural rather than disorienting. You can dial up the immersion and go full VR when you want complete escapism, or keep your environment visible when you need to stay aware of your surroundings.
Meta also fitted the Quest 3S with the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 platform which provides twice the Quest 2’s graphics performance. This means less stuttering in highly demanding games and sharper in-game detail that enhances the realism of virtual worlds. Better processing power also allows smoother operation of experiences that would stutter or lag in older headsets for a better immersion even in long gaming sessions or highly detailed virtual worlds.
The home theater-like effect in itself is worth thepurchase for some users. You get to make whatever room is available your own in-home cinema by darkening your space and watching content on a giant and colorful virtual screen. You’re essentially getting a 100-inch TV that only exists in your headset. You plug in your USB-C headphones for the 3D-like sounds, or use your regular 3.5mm headphones with your USB-C adapter (available separately) and this is perfect for watching movies.
Physical activities feel comfortable due to the wireless freedom and compact nature: Virtual exercises put your heart rate up with no cables limiting your mobility, and full-body games make your whole living room your playground. Touch Plus Controllers deliver realistic feedback and precise pinch and tilt for games involving fine motor controls and hand tracking enables you to move menus and interact with content with your hands alone.
Meta included strong parental controls within the system so that you could control screen time, see daily use, and assign permissions for your household members. You could also initiate multiple user profiles and sharing accounts for content, so it is simple for all household members to have their own customized experience. Accounts for users who are 10 years and older are turned on and special safety recommendations are on hand online.
Your membership entitles you to three months of Meta Horizon Plus at no cost which entitles you to immediate access to a seasonal game library, monthly content drops, and special experiences. You get to test the library in VR for free without additional purchases right away, subject only to eligibility and auto-renewing terms.
At just $299 for the special bundle, the Quest 3S is an affordable portal to VR and mixed reality at just a tiny fraction of the price of competition in headsets.
