Meta Quest 3S VR Headset: Save $50 and Get $50 Best Buy Gift Card

If you've been eager to dive into VR gaming but the high cost has been a deterrent, then you'll be excited about the first major Meta Quest deal of 2025. For a limited time, Best Buy is slashing $50 off the price of the Quest 3S 256GB VR headset, bringing it down to just $349.99. But wait, there's more! You'll also receive a $50 Best Buy gift card and a one-month free trial of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, effectively making the headset as affordable as its 128GB counterpart.

To make this deal even sweeter, the package includes a copy of the acclaimed Batman: Arkham Shadow VR game and a three-month trial of Meta Quest+. In IGN's 8/10 review, Dan Stapleton praised the game, saying, "Batman: Arkham Shadow makes most of the Arkham series' defining gameplay work respectably well in VR, and its mystery story pays off."

Meta Quest 3S VR Headset with Batman: Arkham Shadow

Meta Quest 3S 256GB VR Headset + Bonus $50 Best Buy Gift Card

Original Price: $399.99
Discount: 13%
Sale Price: $349.99 at Best Buy

The Quest 3S is a significant upgrade from the original Quest 2, offering enhancements in every aspect without increasing the price. It also incorporates many features from the pricier Quest 3, such as the new and improved Touch controllers, an upgraded Snapdragon APU, and support for full-color AR passthrough. In IGN's 9/10 review of the Quest 3S, Gabriel Moss noted, "Raw processing power, full-color passthrough, and snappy Touch Plus controllers make the Quest 3S a fantastic standalone VR headset that also brings entry-level mixed-reality gaming to the masses for – arguably – the very first time."

What sets this deal apart from other VR deals is that the Meta Quest 3S can be played completely untethered. This means you can enjoy games like Beat Saber or Pistol Whip without needing a powerful gaming PC or a PlayStation 5 console. At this price point, it's hard to find another standalone VR headset that matches its capabilities.

How Is the Quest 3S Different from the Quest 3?

Even at its retail price, the Quest 3S is $200 cheaper than the $500 Quest 3, a 40% savings. While some compromises were made to achieve this competitive price, the Quest 3S remains a strong contender. Here are the key similarities and differences:

Quest 3S vs. Quest 3 Similarities

• Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor
• Touch Plus controllers
• 120Hz refresh rate
• Mixed reality passthrough (same cameras, different layout)

Quest 3S vs. Quest 3 Differences

• Lower per-eye resolution (1832x1920 vs 2064×2208)
• Fresnel lens vs. pancake lens
• Lower FOV (96°/90° vs 104°/96°)
• Smaller storage capacity (128GB vs 512GB)
• Longer battery life (2.5hrs vs 2.2hrs)

Essentially, the Quest 3S offers nearly the same experience as the Quest 3 but with downgraded optics. However, since both use the same processor, the lower resolution can ease the load on the APU, potentially boosting in-game performance and contributing to longer battery life.

For the price, the Quest 3S provides a better value than the Quest 3, making it an excellent choice for most gamers, especially if the Quest 3 was out of your budget. Compared to the Quest 2, the choice is even clearer.

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