We finally got confirmation last week that the Meta Quest 3S is real, and it's arriving this year. As a few rumors hinted though, it does mean that Meta is discontinuing some of its existing headsets to make room for a more affordable model. The Quest 2 and Quest Pro have been drifting in and out of stock for a while now, so while it's sad they'll now be officially retired, it's the 128GB model of the Meta Quest 3 I'm more surprised about.
The 128GB Quest 3 only launched this time last year and it's been one of the most accessible VR headsets worth buying ever since. VR games are relatively small, so for many people, paying more for a 512GB SKU hasn't been all that necessary. Since the announcement the 128GB version's death warrant was signed though, it feels like it's entered clearance mode. In the US, Best Buy is one of the last remaining suppliers with stock available, and it's reduced the device's price from $499.99 down to $429, giving you a sweet $70 saving.
In the UK, Amazon has followed suit, dropping the cost to just £409.99 down from £479. It goes without saying, but I've not seen the Quest 3 hit this low a price tag since it launched last year, and I've been keeping a close eye on the headset's deals in that time. Amazon's US stock of the 128GB Quest 3 has already disappeared entirely, so if you're wanting a cheaper route into Meta's flagship device, I wouldn't wait around. I'd be surprised if this VR headset didn't transition into a collector's item by the time Prime Day Meta Quest deals officially start next week.
But why is the Quest 3 being discontinued, I hear you ask? Well, since the Quest 3S is targeting that more approachable market of first-time VR buyers or those who don't want to invest more than $350 on a standalone headset, the Quest 3 proper needs to stand out as an enthusiast device. Limiting choice to the 512GB model only distinguishes it from the competition, since other standalone headsets tend to offer less storage.
While it's certainly sad that the Quest 3 128GB is no more, you can take solace in the fact that the 512GB SKU has now dropped in price slightly as well. In the UK and US, it's cheaper than it's ever been, dropping to $499 down from its original MSRP of $649, or £469 in the UK. That's an amazing reduction in its own right, although it's a massive slap in the face to anyone who bought that headset in the last few months at a higher price.
Regardless of which Quest headset you buy, you'll get to benefit from the Batman Arkham Shadow pre-order bonus that's available for the Quest 3S.
Should you buy the 128GB Meta Quest 3?
In all of Quest 3's life so far, this question has never been so hard to answer. If you want the best Quest headset in terms of its internal specs, but you don't want to spend money on a version with more storage, then absolutely jump on this 128GB model clearance sale. Truth be told, you'd struggle to fill up 512GB of space even if you use the headset daily for gaming and work. VR titles really are surprisingly small, so 128GB is more space than you'd think.
That said, the competition has never been so fierce. Not only do you have the Meta Quest 3S to think about now, but if you're in the UK, you have the Pico 4 Ultra to consider, which is arguably better than the Quest 3 anyway. HTC Vive is also re-entering the consumer market with the Vive Focus Vision, which is a much higher-end device targeted at PC gamers.
Then, you have what I'd argue is the Quest 3's biggest competition, PSVR 2. Almost like clockwork, Sony's headset has dropped in price as well. Its MSRP is $549, and Walmart is currently listing it for $449, a whole $100 cheaper. In the UK, you can grab one for just £500 at Amazon, which really puts it up against the new price of the 512GB Quest 3.
Any direction you look in, you have amazing opportunities to get into VR gaming at the moment. All of these headsets are worth the money, and as a lover of this technology, I couldn't be happier to say that. Competition is great for any industry, and since this has always been prohibitively expensive hardware, all of these discounts mean that more people will be able to get their heads in a visor. If that's the case now, I can't wait to see what Black Friday VR headset deals and Black Friday Meta Quest deals have in store.
You can personalize your headsets by checking out the best Meta Quest accessories. If you want to widen your gaming library, check out the best gaming PCs or the best gaming laptops.
