Save $50 on Meta Quest 3S VR, Get $50 Best Buy Gift Card

If you've been eager to dive into VR gaming but found the cost prohibitive, the first major Meta Quest deal of 2025 might just be what you need. Best Buy is currently offering a $50 discount on the Quest 3S 256GB VR headset, bringing the price down to $349.99. But the savings don't stop there. You'll also receive a $50 Best Buy gift card and a complimentary one-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, effectively matching the price of the base 128GB model.

To make the deal even more enticing, the package includes a copy of the highly-rated Batman: Arkham Shadow VR game and a three-month trial of Meta Quest+. In IGN's review, Dan Stapleton praised the game, stating, "Batman: Arkham Shadow makes most of the Arkham series' defining gameplay work respectably well in VR, and its mystery story pays off."

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

$399.99 save 13% $349.99 at Best Buy

The Quest 3S significantly improves upon the original Quest 2 without increasing the price. It incorporates many of the same features as the more expensive Quest 3, including the enhanced Touch controllers, the upgraded SnapDragon APU, and support for full-color AR passthrough. IGN's Gabriel Moss gave the Quest 3S a stellar 9/10, noting 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."

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 console. At this price point, it's hard to find another standalone VR headset that offers such versatility.

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

The Quest 3S is priced at $200 less than the Quest 3, which retails for $500. To achieve this competitive price, some compromises were necessary. Here's how the two models compare:

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 essence, the Quest 3S offers nearly the same experience but with downgraded optics. However, because both headsets use the same processor, running at a lower resolution can ease the load on the APU, potentially enhancing in-game performance and contributing to the longer battery life.

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

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