Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S: price, differences, used and what owners say

Meta Quest 3. Image: Meta

Price: $349.99 for the 3S, $599.99 for the Quest 3

Meta raised the prices of the Quest 3 and Quest 3S on April 19, 2026 [1]. Thurrott reported the reason Meta gave: higher memory costs [2].

Last checked November 8, 2026: The lowest Walmart.com listing for each model. The Meta column is the price Meta set from April 19, 2026; Meta's US store was not checked on this date..

Before the rise, the Quest 3 cost $200 more than the 3S 128 GB. Now the gap is $250. Against the 3S 256 GB it is only $150. So if you were going to buy the 3S with 256 GB anyway, the Quest 3 is close.

Meta sells the new Quest 3 only with 512 GB; the 128 GB version was available earlier [6]. Some Walmart listings on the same day included the GOLF+ game with in-game credits [3][4].

The differences between Quest 3 and Quest 3S

Both headsets use the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 with 8 GB of memory [5]. So the speed is the same. What changes is what you see.

The 3S fits if you want to try VR first, play games, and keep the price down. Pixels and field of view are the same class as the older Quest 2 [6].

The Quest 3 fits if you want the sharpest picture, for films or text in the headset. It also fits if your eye distance is far from the three 3S presets [6].

Owners who tried both mostly side with the Quest 3. One flight-sim player wrote: "I played with the 3S and after looking at the image quality of the Quest 3 in comparison, I couldn’t go back to the 3S." (Flight Simulator forums, June 2026). A 3S owner playing Half-Life: Alyx is happy: "my quest3s runs the game great" (Steam Community, December 2024).

What owners say (not tested by us)

We read 75 people on the Meta Community Forums, Steam Community, [H]ardForum, the Microsoft Flight Simulator forums, Blu-ray Forum and Walmart.com reviews. Each report is one person's experience. Only 9 of them have used or bought a 3S, so the record leans toward the Quest 3. These points come up most:

1. The battery (10 people). "Now the biggest downside is the battery life. it dies within an hour ir 2 of gameplay which sucks. so its recommended to get a battery pack headstrap as its a great combo." (Walmart.com, October 2026, Quest 3). One owner said the built-in battery "is plenty if you're just watching media or doing desktop stuff, or light games" ([H]ardForum, November 2024).
2. The stock head strap (14 people). Most replace it, often with a strap that holds a battery. "The stock strap is uncomfortable, not quite as bad as the Quest 2 but not great either." ([H]ardForum, October 2023, Quest 3).
3. The 3S picture (10 people say the Quest 3 lenses or picture are clearly better). "You can pretend the 3S is a Quest 2 with a faster SOC because that's what it is. The 3 blows it out of the park with its much better lenses." (Steam Community, October 2025). A 3S owner wrote that the image "is not crisp" but "it is flyable" (Flight Simulator forums, June 2026).

With glasses: four owners say prescription lens inserts helped. "The thing that made the biggest difference for me was purchasing a set of lenses for it same as my prescription." (Flight Simulator forums, June 2025, Quest 3). Another wears glasses inside it: "I can spend a day in it without the slightest discomfort. With glasses." (with Meta's Elite strap; [H]ardForum, November 2024).

Used and refurbished

Meta sells refurbished Quest 3S headsets (128 GB and 256 GB) "with a 1-year Meta Quest warranty" [7]. Refurbished Quest 3 headsets come in "a limited supply" [8]. Meta's April price rise applied to refurbished models too [2]. Amazon lists a Quest 3 512 GB as "Renewed Premium" [9].

eBay, Swappa and Back Market did not open for us, so we give no used prices. Compare any used offer with the new prices above, and ask whether the controllers and the charger are included.

Seven people in the record reported a problem with a used, refurbished or replacement unit; for one more, a refurbished replacement solved the problem. Most of those posts are about warranty replacements, and people without problems rarely post. One buyer of a refurbished Quest 3 on Amazon could not pair it and returned it: "I guess this is always a risk with buying refurbished devices." (Meta Community Forums, December 2025). A private buyer was told the unit had "max 5 hours on it" and found the "charging cable is really dirty" (Meta Community Forums, October 2026).

Is a Quest 4 coming?

Meta's device list of October 23, 2026 names only the Quest 3 and 3S as Quest headsets [5]. In December 2025 Gizmodo reported that new Quest headsets were "pushed back until 2027 at the soonest", and that according to UploadVR the Quest 4 "may not come out until 2028" [10].

At Connect on September 23, 2026, Meta announced the Meta VR Glasses instead [11]. They weigh "around" 100 grams; the chip and the power sit in a 300-gram puck on a cable [11]. UploadVR gives the price as $1,300 and the ship date as spring 2027 [11]. Their view is 70° across, against 110° on the Quest 3 [5]. Whether to wait for them is on Meta VR Glasses vs Quest 3.

Watching films, also in 3D

Both headsets play streaming apps and your own video files. One owner wrote: "What I enjoy is watching BluRay or even 4K content at a giant screen, about the size of theater or iMAX." The same owner suggests "a little power brick to help you get through a 3 hour movie" (Steam Community, March 2024, Quest 3). Which app does what is on How to watch movies in VR. 3D films in side-by-side format play too: 3D movies on a Quest 3. Players are compared in VR video players.

You can also watch your 2D films in 3D. Owl3D Link is Owl3D's free app for Meta Quest headsets; on the free plan a session lasts 15 minutes and the picture carries a watermark. With the Owl3D desktop app running on a Windows PC (not a Mac) with an NVIDIA RTX 3060 or better, it streams the PC's screen to the headset wirelessly, converted to 3D as it plays. It is an AI conversion, not the studio's 3D. Setup is in Watch a 2D movie in 3D with Owl3D Link.

From Owl3DOwl3D converterA desktop app for Windows and Mac that turns 2D videos and photos into 3D.

Questions

Is 128 GB enough?

It depends on how many games you install. The Quest 3 now comes only with 512 GB [6]. On the 3S, the 256 GB model costs $100 more [2]. We found only one owner who spoke about 128 GB from use, so we have no owners' verdict to give.

Do I need a PC?

No. Both are all-in-one headsets with their own chip [5]. For PC VR games, see Connect Meta Quest to a PC.

Quest 3 or another headset?

Comparisons are on Steam Frame vs PS VR2 and Meta VR Glasses vs Quest 3.