The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition is a new virtual reality experience that Microsoft and Meta have worked together to make. This new headset costs $399.99 and combines Meta’s successful VR hardware with Microsoft’s Xbox ecosystem. It lets gamers stream and play games through Xbox Cloud Gaming in a way that seems real.
This limited-edition headset is available in the US and UK starting today. It’s not just a cosmetic boost. Microsoft is changing the way it markets Xbox. Instead of new consoles, it will use flexible platforms like virtual reality.
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What’s Inside the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition?
The Quest 3S Xbox Edition looks great at first glance because it has a sleek carbon black and Xbox green design. There is a green band across the front of the headset and a small green Xbox logo on the side. The bundle comes with:
- A wireless controller for the Xbox that matches
- Meta’s Touch Plus controllers come in black and green, which match.
- Three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
This bundle has everything you need to start gaming right away, without a console.
A Tailored Setup for Xbox Fans
This version of Quest has a customised setup experience from Meta that makes it look like an Xbox. The headset goes straight to the Xbox app when it is turned on, which makes it easy for the user to access their game catalogue.
You can stream Xbox games that work with the cloud using the Xbox app on Quest 3S. To use this, people need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. Microsoft is giving new and current subscribers a free three-month trial with their subscription.
Gaming in Virtual and Augmented Reality
The real surprise after a week of testing the headset was how flexible the gaming experience felt. The Xbox app makes a virtual display that is 26 feet wide and can be bent or flattened to fit your needs. The experience was smooth and easy to understand, whether you were totally involved in a virtual world or just putting the game window over real-world things in pass-through mode.
But the bitrate limits of Xbox Cloud Gaming became clear in games that needed higher graphics. Forza Horizon 5 and other games sometimes had problems with visual compression. That being said, latency was very low, and the game ran smoothly, which is very important for fast-paced or competitive games.
The First True “Xbox” VR?
Microsoft has been against making a separate Xbox VR headset for a long time, but this partnership with Meta might be the closest the brand has come. Microsoft is making the Xbox brand more flexible and cloud-first by adding its cloud gaming service to Meta’s hardware. This means that the Xbox brand can work on TVs, phones, laptops, and even VR.
This method is good for people who travel a lot or want a simple gaming setup. There is no actual console or extra screen; just a headset and controller that can broadcast console-quality games from the cloud.
Limited Availability and Future Potential
There are just a few copies of the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition for sale. You can buy it in the US at Meta’s own store and Best Buy. People in the UK can get it via Argos and EE. Microsoft says that after these units are gone, they won’t be available again.
People also want a cheaper or ad-supported version of Game Pass Ultimate more and more. The membership isn’t cheap at $19.99 a month, but adding more tiers of access might make devices like the Quest 3S Xbox Edition more appealing to casual gamers.
Final Thoughts
The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition isn’t a huge leap forward in VR gear, but it’s a smart and well-executed partnership between two big tech companies. Microsoft’s smart attempt to use VR to make the Xbox platform more accessible is a clear sign of where gaming is going: cloud-based, device-agnostic, and more immersive.
This headset gives gamers who like to be flexible and try new things a great new way to connect with the Xbox ecosystem without needing a console.
