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 have been put off by the high costs, the first major Meta Quest deal of 2025 could be your perfect entry point. For a limited time, Best Buy is offering a $50 discount on the Meta Quest 3S 256GB VR headset, bringing the price down to just $349.99. But that's not all – this deal also includes a $50 Best Buy gift card and a one-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, effectively matching the price of the 128GB model.

To make the offer even more enticing, the package comes with a copy of the Batman: Arkham Shadow VR game and a three-month trial of Meta Quest+. In IGN's review, Dan Stapleton gave Batman: Arkham Shadow an 8/10, praising its ability to translate the defining gameplay of the Arkham series into VR while delivering a compelling mystery story.

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

$399.99 save 13% $349.99 at Best Buy

The Meta Quest 3S is a significant upgrade from the Quest 2, and remarkably, it maintains the same price point. It incorporates many features from the pricier Quest 3, including the advanced Touch controllers, the upgraded SnapDragon APU, and full-color AR passthrough. In IGN's 9/10 review, Gabriel Moss highlighted the Quest 3S's "raw processing power, full-color passthrough, and snappy Touch Plus controllers," making it an excellent standalone VR headset that introduces entry-level mixed-reality gaming to a broader audience.

What sets this deal apart is the Quest 3S's ability to 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. It's hard to find another standalone VR headset at this price point.

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

Even at full price, the Quest 3S is $200, or 40%, cheaper than the $500 Quest 3. To achieve this lower price, some compromises were made. 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)

In summary, the Quest 3S offers nearly the same experience as the Quest 3 but with downgraded optics. The use of the same processor at a lower resolution can potentially enhance game performance and contribute to the longer battery life.

Given its price, the Quest 3S provides better value than the Quest 3 and is a more suitable choice for most gamers, especially if the Quest 3 was out of your budget. Compared to the Quest 2, the decision to upgrade to the Quest 3S is even clearer.

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