A new Meta VR headset has been certified by the FCC, possibly pointing to the upcoming release of the rumored Quest 3S—or what could be the company’s more affordable offering next to Quest 3.

Update (September 3rd, 2024): A new VR headset from Meta is coming. Documents related to the FCC certification were published on Sunday, which typically arrives only days before a new Meta product is due to launch. A separate certification also popped up on third-party testing and certification site Dekra.

With Meta Connect coming up near the end of the month, it seems we’re only about three weeks away from finding out for good—provided we don’t see any of the usual leaks leading up to launch.

The original article covering the previous ‘Quest 3S’ name leak follows below:

Original Article (May 31st, 2024): It was revealed in early 2023 that Meta was internally cooking up a new Quest headset to ship in 2024, which the company mentioned it hoped would make the platform more accessible to consumers. Now, the naming scheme ‘Quest 3S’ has appeared in a recent app listing, seemingly confirming previous rumors of Meta’s next headset.

As seen in the Quest Store listing for XR fitness app Alo Moves XR, the name ‘Quest 3S’ has appeared, which ostensibly points to the company’s next headset.

Whether this is supposed to be that ‘more accessible’ (re: cheaper) headset in question remains to be seen, but it’s a good bet.

Image captured by Road to VR

While you might think it could simply be a mistake made by any studio, Alo Moves XR is notably being published by Meta and developed by Magnopus, the same studio that worked with Meta to create an open source Unity demo built to showcase some of the most compelling things you can do in MR.

SEE ALSO
Meta Would Happily do the “heavy lifting” to Get AirPlay on Quest, if Apple is Game

It’s not clear when Meta hopes to announce the supposed Quest 3S, also referred to in prior rumors as ‘Quest 3 Lite’. Its next big opportunity will be Connect 2024, which typically happens in October. The company tends to announce headsets there, so we’ll just have to wait and see (see update).

Meanwhile, Meta has slashed the price of Quest 2, bringing the 128GB version of its 2020-era standalone VR headset to just $200. This comes as the company has repositioned itself more as a platform holder and not a sole manufacturer as such, evidenced by the announcement it will be releasing its XR operating system to third-party OEMs for the first time. That’s set to include XR devices running Meta’s HorizonOS from a three initial partners ASUS, Lenovo, and Xbox—promising to bring a number of Quest-like standalones to the forefront in the near future.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • ViRGiN

    Not reported by tech analyst and YouTuber Brad ‘SadlyItsBradley’ Lynch?

    • Ames1

      You need to go outside once in a while, its amazing that you are incapable of just not commenting on every single post this website makes

      • ViRGiN

        Damn, touch some cold stone, you can't stop reading everything here?

        • Ames1

          Its fine mate, you're lonely and this (along with reddit I imagine), are the only placed you interact with people, you just seem to have the absolute worst personality, I assume you've found when you try to have decent conversations with people, they get bored of you, so commenting negativity is the only way you can have any form of interaction. Don't worry about replying though chief, there are other articles you can post the same old shit onto instead.

          • ViRGiN

            This message is full of personal emotions. I hope you find a way to relieve the stress. Whatever is going on with your life, i hope it’s over soon.

          • Please keep comments on topic and avoid personal infighting.

          • VrSLuT

            Okay, nothing personal here. The "S" stands for sluts. That's what he's really been spending tens of billions on, that is, H-OS!

          • xyzs

            Well Scott, maybe you could start banning this toxic mentally ill weirdo? He drags your website down with his nefarious constant insults. Nobody can stand him.
            Why are you doing nothing about him, he’s got something nobody understands that is so valuable you let him polluting your website forever?
            Personally I come here less and less and less because I’m tired of this moron.

          • kakek

            No, I enjoy it immensely.
            In jester sort of way. Sometime I enjoy trolling each other. Sometime it almost becomes a real coversation.
            But come on, he almost never actually use bad language, and rarely drift toward personal attacks.

            Sure, he's either a huge troll theme account, or have received serious psychological trauma from Gabe Newel at some point.

            But he's very entertaining.

          • Nevets

            I wouldn't go as far as 'very entertaining' but I do agree with you that he is the mildest and least harmful type of troll. A ban would seem excessive.

          • VrSLuT

            Its just that Zuck is a bigger sugardaddy than Gabe ever was! That won't last, then the rants will get even more entertaining!

          • ViRGiN

            I'm a tech analyst, are you jealous?

          • Yeah, they can easily ban this handjob.
            But when it reasonlessly attacks US, WE'RE to blame for defending ourselves ….
            Fuck ioutta here….

          • Rosko

            Put him on ignore, i did that a long time ago. They would never ban him as he probably works for Meta.

          • salamancer

            That's not scott

          • ViRGiN

            Please get rid of imposters.

          • ViRGiN

            I have real personality problems, and the only way to relieve that is to post negatively on here. I hope Gabe reads everything I write, bless him and his billions. I live off the social.

          • ViRGiN

            Please keep comments on topic and avoid personal infighting.

          • ViRGiN

            Sadly, I get off on it. Repeatedly, while in MR and fiddling with my privates.

          • ViRGiN

            Please keep comments on topic and avoid personal infighting.

          • Nevets

            Savage!

      • Outside, and make a beeline for a shrink …. lol

    • Ade

      I actually look for this guys comments first, because he seems to be the only one that speaks the hard cold truth.

      • ViRGiN

        When did he?

  • Nevets

    Finally, a chance to have graphical and feature parity across every new game.

    And as for those mugs who bought a discounted unit earmarked for obsolescence…enjoy your not inconsiderable game library, but don't moan that you can't play Batman.

    • Fingers crossed for my "Pimax12K" ….

    • polysix

      Mate it's nothing to gloat about you're on LCD whatever you buy, and mobile chipset graphics are terrible for VR. Try PS5+PSVR2 and GT7 to see what real VR is like. You have no idea…

      • Nevets

        You are absolutely right. I agree with every word you say.

      • Shad Daffucup

        I'm inclined to believe you, but I still will never buy a PS5 because Sony is dead to me

      • DjArcas

        GT7 in VR is an absolute pile of steaming shit.

  • Cl

    Hopefully the S means super or something. I'd get a quest 3 with oled and eye tracking. Really if it was an upgraded version they would call it quest 3 pro, so I'm not going to get excited about it.

    • Yeshaya

      I'd say very high likelihood it's the budget version of the Quest 3, with the same processor but cutbacks elsewhere. Still to be announced. I'm not sure what they'll do next, a Quest 4, a Quest Pro 2, or some sort of hybrid. Maybe they're watching AVP reception to see if eye tracking is 100% essential or not

      • Nevets

        They won't be looking for AVP to provide the lead on that question. There is no doubt it is essential and the question is simply a matter of cost.

      • If I was Meta, I'd run far far away
        from the marketing term: "pro" …. lol

      • Arno van Wingerde

        Supposedly it is kind like a Quest2 with Q3 processor, controllers and AR cameras. Still bulky and Fresnel, but cheaper.

    • Nevets

      No chance. They've just released their consumer flagship, barely more than six months ago.

      • g-man

        Agreed. There's already not a lot of reason to spend more for the Q3 over the Q2 given the dearth of AR apps so enticing upgrades is going to require something cheaper.

        • Nevets

          Very true. Only enthusiasts will upgrade based on better lenses and graphics given the game base is the same. Only better games exclusive to the latest devices will change that.

          • Arno van Wingerde

            I am starting to disagree both with you and with @disqus_iKIoQM5O52:disqus: apart from the superior lenses – never watched movies on the Q2, on the Q3 it has become so much better. But recently more games are coming with superior textures that do the Q3 justice.

    • It means NOTHING.
      Meta's doing it 'cause Apple makes adding "S"es a thing,
      beginning with "iPhone 4S".
      That's it.

  • Yeshaya

    Why couldn't it have been any letter besides S. The plurals are going to be annoying

    • Nevets

      The English language doesn't like long lines of esses but two of them in succession is not excessive.

    • Because Meta is following the #1 rule of marketeering:
      "COPY WHATEVER APPLE DOES!" lol
      []^ )

  • Well, every leak now says Quest 3S… I think we got a winner

  • ShaneMcGrath

    Depending on the price I may finally retire my old Oculus Go and get this one.
    I do have a Quest 3 for PCVR gaming but still use Oculus Go for Youtube and streaming old movies off my NAS in bed.

    • VR5

      Given that this apparently won't have pancake lenses you should use your Quest 3 for media viewing instead. I use my Quest Pro for PC, Quest 3 for media and exclusives.

    • Nevets

      It sounds almost inevitable that this will be a cheaper version of the quest 3 and therefore if you already have a quest 3 there will be no point in buying it.

    • Andrew Jakobs

      Why not use the Q3 too for youtube/movies? It has better lenses and a higher resolution making the experience much better.

    • Arno van Wingerde

      I don't get it: why not use your Quest3 for PCVR & Standalone & Media instead of looking at blurry movies on the Oculus Go? With the right strap ,I use a BoBo VR S3Pro, you can use it comfortably even while laying down.

  • ANOTHER Quest ….
    Time to put Quest 2 down.
    Give it it's gold watch and wish it well. It and Q2/Q3/Qpro is way too much market confusion.
    Quest 3/Quest 3S: expensive/inexpensive.
    That's it!!
    []^ )

    • polysix

      And they're all shit (I had Q2 and Quest Pro). LCD trash. Q1 had oled but was crap in other ways (i.e standalone)

      • NL_VR

        ThThey are not shit buy ingress you are no VR gamer more of a content viewer?

  • Andrew Jakobs

    To be honest, October release for a headset like this is late in the game. The specs of one display and fresnellenses is just awful at this point in time. Even for a cheap headset if $299 (which is the expected retail price).

    • brandon9271

      I'll never buy another display with fresnel lenses. So many otherwise great hmds that are ruined by crap optics

      • Andrew Jakobs

        I agree with you, I too won't buy a new headset with fresnel lenses, hated them since the first Vive, especially after the community got them replaced with perfect clearview lenses, after a while.

        • Arno van Wingerde

          I agree that I wouldn't go back either. However, this is meant for new users, where a 'Quest2 with Quest3 electronics'. Anyone with a Quest3 or Pico4 should not go there – we are not the intended market. But many new users with Quest3 -compatible electronics is a big boost for the VR market, which is still too small to attract many major AAA releases.

          • Nevets

            This is the point. I am surprised those moaning about Fresnel lenses don't realise this. Pancake lenses are fully available but only for those who can pay for a more expensive device.

  • gothicvillas

    It is not NEXT headset but downgraded Quest 3

  • Nevets

    All these leaks are generated by the PR team, although I'm sure everybody realizes that.

  • ViRGiN

    Just like Volvo Dickhard, it might be launching soon with new Half Sprite 3 VR very, very soon.

  • eadVrim

    I think Meta should have lowered the price of Quest 3 to $400 or $350 to focus on one main product. Better than releasing a Quest 2 clone with a 33% more processor and more grainy pass-through compared the Q3 cause of lower resolution and the frensel lenses.

    • J.C.

      Yep. The pancake lenses are an advancement you can’t go back from. It’s such a huge improvement, it’s nearly the same insanity as deciding to go back to using HDDs after using a SSD.

    • Arno van Wingerde

      I disagree on that one: if Quest is to move the world of VR forward, it needs a large user base that can run the games with the best possible standalone hardware, which is the aim of the 3S.
      People wanting the pancake lenses, such as > 99% of all Quest3 users, will not be interested in the Quest3S, which is meant for either people with a Quest or Quest2, or people new to VR.

      • eadVrim

        That only would work if the resolution of the Q3S is significantly better than the Q2, if are the same no needs for upgrade.

        • Arno van Wingerde

          Partly… coming from a Q2 this one allows for better graphics because of the processor, including Q3 exclusives like Batman. I think an upgrade from Q2 to Q3 makes more sense, but of course that takes more money. Also, for people strapped for cash, it may be smart to start saving for the Q4 in 2025/2026 instead.

          • eadVrim

            Or maybe saving their cash for the Quest 3 instead.
            Increasing graphics (not the resolution) for some Q3 enhanced games I think not worth the update from 2 to 3S. even PCVR experience stay extactly the same.

      • FRISH

        Would someone coming from a quest 2 really see that much of a benefit going to a quest 3s though? I feel like a discount on the quest 3 would make it a more appealing step up.

  • polysix

    Yay.. more LCD trash.

    Get PSVR2 and Adapter and actually experience VR. OLED is vital. Good binocular overlap is vital. Display port is Vital.

    • ViRGiN

      Join the 0.35% of all SteamVR users, or rather 0.005915% of all Steam users by joining the #SONY gang. You can't possibly go more elitist than that, even if you're gaming on 8K 3D monitor in 420Hz.

    • Jeff

      This is so unhinged – we get it, you're knee deep in fanboy hell and you simply must let everyone know that their system of choice is WRONG! Can't wait to see you dropping this same exact line in every other Quest related article.

    • NL_VR

      One problem, Cable connected always

  • namekuseijin

    just in time for Hitman 3S

  • FRISH

    So much VR tribalism and there's me with choice paralysis coz idk what to do or whether to wait. Although tbh I'll wait anyway coz I'm a cheapskate who ideally doesn't want to pay rrp.