The Quest 3S is an improvement over the original Quest 2 in every way and, amazingly, without a price increase. It adopts many of the same features of the Quest 3, like the new Touch controllers, the upgraded SnapDragon APU, and full color AR passthrough. In IGN’s 9/10 Quest 3S review, Gabriel Moss wrote that “raw processing power, full-color passthrough, and snappy Touch Plus controllers make the Quest 3S a fantastic standalone VR headset that also brings entry-level mixed-reality gaming to the masses for – arguably – the very first time.

Target Has Now Matched This Deal

But with a $75 Target Gift Card

As seen in the Target Black Friday Sneak Peek, Target has matched this deal with its own bonus $75 Target gift card. If Target is your preferred shopping destination, or if you have a Target Circle credit card for the 5% discount, then you should wait for this deal to drop.

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

The Quest 3S comes in at $300, or 30% cheaper than the $430 Quest 3. Obviously, some compromises were made to get the 3S to its competitive price point. The spec comparisons are listed below:

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 (1832×1920 vs 2064×2208)
• Fresnel lens vs. pancake lens
• Lower FOV (96°/90° vs 104°/96°)
• Smaller maximum storage capacity (256GB vs 512GB)
• Longer battery life (2.5hrs vs 2.2hrs)

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.

For the price, the Quest 3S is unquestionably a better value than the Quest 3, and a better choice for most gamers, especially if the Quest 3 was completely out of your budget in the first place. Compared to the previous generation Quest 2, the decision is even easier.

When Is Black Friday 2024?

We’re in the home stretch: Black Friday falls on November 29 this year. All month long, retailers have been rolling out sales, ramping up to massive discounts on Black Friday and through the weekend into Cyber Monday. There are already some fantastic deals available on PS5 consoles and controllers, video games for all platforms, AirPods Pro, and tons more.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.