You probably know the Meta Quest 3S has the same CPU as the Quest 3, but what else has changed from the Quest 2? Less than you'd think, but there are some key differences you might miss by looking at it.

And yet, for all its new features -- a better color passthrough camera that can enable mixed reality just like the more expensive Quest 3 and the same Quest 3 processor for more advanced graphics in games -- I wonder how rapidly the VR and AR app landscape on Quest can accelerate along with it.

Meta has unveiled the Meta Quest 3S, a budget-friendly VR headset designed to replace the Quest 2 as the company's most affordable offering. While it

The Quest 3S is Meta's latest budget VR headset, with many of the features of the Quest 3 at a more accessible $300.

Meta Quest 3S pre-orders have gone live ahead of the device's October 15 release date. You'll be able to pick up the 128GB edition for $300 USD, and the 256GB for $400. The Quest 2 and Quest Pro are both being retired, and the previously $650 512GB Quest 3 is dropping down to $500, and the old 128GB Quest 3 is being liquidated at $430.

Priced at just $299.99, the Meta Quest 3S has an amazingly low price and while it does compromise in some areas, it's still a surprisingly

The Quest 3S comes in the box with two of the same Touch Plus controllers as the Quest 3 and the same head strap as last time. It should also accept “some, but not all” of the Quest 3’s accessories, including the elite strap with battery and carrying case.

In essence, the Quest 3S is nearly the same headset but with downgraded optics. On the plus side, since both headsets use the same processor, running at a lower resolution reduces the load on the APU, which could theoretically improve performance in games and also account for the increased battery life.

The Meta Quest 3S is a great budget-priced VR headset, but not everyone likes the cloth head strap it ships with. Here are the alternative head straps you can expect to use with it.

While the Quest 3 and 3S share accessories, we doubt anyone will downgrade from one to the other. The Quest 2 and Quest 3S share fewer common accessories, but there are a couple of ways to save money.