Meta takes 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' to its logical conclusion as iFixit finds the Meta Quest 3S is mostly the same as the Quest 2 (2024)

Meta takes 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' to its logical conclusion as iFixit finds the Meta Quest 3S is mostly the same as the Quest 2 (1)

Generally, when a new version of a product is announced, we expect it to have a vast number of upgraded specs and features over generations past. After all, this is the new model, and it can be tempting to expect the relentless march of progress to have rendered all the parts from the old one obsolete.

There's something to the old adage though, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". And thus, iFixit's breakdown of the Meta Quest 3S reveals some surprises—it's using a lot of the same parts as the Meta Quest 2.

The Quest 3S was expected by many to simply be a budget version of the Quest 3, but it appears what Meta has done instead is co-opt in a bunch of (perfectly decent) components from the Meta Quest 2—in combination with a dash of the improvements from the Quest 3—to make a VR headset that sits somewhere between the two.

So the Quest 3S gets Fresnel lenses instead of the fancy "pancake" units found in the Quest 3, and exactly like the ones found in the Quest 2. And when I say exactly, I mean exactly—the parts are identical, which makes them interchangeable with the previous model. Behind that is the screen, which, you guessed it, is the same RGB stripe LCD panel as the Quest 2.

Well, virtually the same. iFixit stuck both the Quest 2's LCD panel and the Quest 3S panel under the microscope, and found that the pixel layout between the two was slightly different. This is likely due to supplier differences, but the fact that they share the same size and connector type should mean that they're also interchangeable.

That's not to say that Meta hasn't learnt from some of its mistakes with the Quest 2. The newer model has ditched the proximity sensor inside the headset, as it was occasionally prone to short circuiting if exposed to moisture. The battery housing and connector have changed as a result, and instead Meta has implemented a timed auto-shutoff feature to power the headset down when not in use.

Internally, there are some more powerful components than the Quest 2, making the Quest 3S a decent upgrade over the older model, at least on paper. The new model makes use of the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 Soc with 8 GB of RAM, in comparison to the Quest 2's Gen 1 chip with 6 GB of RAM, along with an upgrade to the wireless ICs with WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 support.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

All in all though, it looks like a refreshingly straightforward approach to creating budget hardware for a new generation. It's worth mentioning that we gave the OG Quest 2 a 90% score in our original review, pointing out its excellent resolution and improved graphics over the previous model, so the decision to use the same lenses and screen in the Quest 3S with some more capable hardware isn't a terrible one.

Virtual reality

Meta takes 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' to its logical conclusion as iFixit finds the Meta Quest 3S is mostly the same as the Quest 2 (2)

Best VR headset: which kit should you choose?
Best graphics card: you need serious GPU power for VR
Best gaming laptop: don't get tied to your desktop in VR

Stick in a faster chip, a bit more RAM, and release it for a reasonable price, and you have an upgrade that is unlikely to set the VR world on fire, but still a headset that may well be in the running to replace the Meta Quest 2 as our best budget VR headset pick. Plus, for repairability? The ability to swap in some older and easily available components strikes as a win for the long term serviceability of both models.

As for the Meta Quest 3 itself, that sits proudly at the top of our list of the best VR headsets overall. It's pricey though, at $500 for the 128 GB version, so the $299 128 GB Meta Quest 3S looks like it might be a great shout for gaining a lot of the benefits of the new model, while keeping some of the best bits of the old.

Meta takes 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' to its logical conclusion as iFixit finds the Meta Quest 3S is mostly the same as the Quest 2 (3)

Andy Edser

Hardware Writer

Andy built his first gaming PC at the tender age of 12, when IDE cables were a thing and high resolution wasn't. After spending over 15 years in the production industry overseeing a variety of live and recorded projects, he started writing his own PC hardware blog in the hope that people might send him things. And they did! Now working as a hardware writer for PC Gamer, Andy's been jumping around the world attending product launches and trade shows, all the while reviewing every bit of PC hardware he can get his hands on. You name it, if it's interesting hardware he'll write words about it, with opinions and everything.

More about vr hardware

US Army asks if Microsoft could please make its Kill-O-Vision headsets a bit cheaperPico 4 Ultra review

Latest

Roblox scrambles to fight the 'pedophile hellscape' allegations with changes to pre-teen accounts that don't seem like enough
See more latest►

See comments

Most Popular
An anime catboy just taught Bernie Sanders what vtubers are during a Twitch stream
For the 30th time—yes, we're still counting—Ubisoft reassures everyone that Beyond Good and Evil 2 is still happening
The latest Cities: Skylines 2 patch addresses homelessness and pollution issues in an already-fraught election year
Minecraft is dropping VR support next year
Fallout: London celebrates the near-eradication of humanity by surpassing 1 million redemptions on GOG
Fallout 76's next major update will be a 'traditional MMO-style dungeon' which will host 'the biggest boss in a Fallout game'
Fallout 76's playable ghoul will be able to 'rip the face off a deathclaw' among other ungodly perks, according to the Fallout Day Broadcast
Space Marine 2 will walk back unpopular difficulty changes, public test servers are coming to help avoid hassles like this in the future
Ubisoft made a good Prince of Persia game, so of course it's disbanded the team shortly after release
You can now turn your Raspberry Pi 5 into a proper retro gaming PC with official hardware as the manufacturer just released its own PCIe 3.0 SSDs
I played the banned Skyrim mod that turns it into World War 2 and, no kidding, it's honestly kind of incredible
Meta takes 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' to its logical conclusion as iFixit finds the Meta Quest 3S is mostly the same as the Quest 2 (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Carmelo Roob

Last Updated:

Views: 6017

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (65 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Carmelo Roob

Birthday: 1995-01-09

Address: Apt. 915 481 Sipes Cliff, New Gonzalobury, CO 80176

Phone: +6773780339780

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Gaming, Jogging, Rugby, Video gaming, Handball, Ice skating, Web surfing

Introduction: My name is Carmelo Roob, I am a modern, handsome, delightful, comfortable, attractive, vast, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.