It’s been quite some time since I last donned a virtual—well, mixed reality headset. I have a Quest 2 sitting at home, but lately, I’ve been consumed with my computing tasks on a foldable Android device. However, after trying out the Meta Quest 3S during the Meta Connect event, I started to question whether experiences like these could fit back into my everyday life. Of course, it would be easier if it didn’t make me feel queasy.
You can check it out at Best Buy or Amazon.
Meta recently unveiled the Quest 3S headset, with a starting price of $300. It’s a bit cheaper than the standard Quest 3 and operates on the same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 platform. The trade-off here is in resolution; while the Quest 3S doesn’t provide as wide a field of view, it’s still better than the previous Quest/Quest 2 models. It looks like Meta is targeting folks like me who haven’t used their headsets in a while and might be tempted to upgrade. It boasts a full-color mixed reality passthrough, which allowed me to easily navigate during my demo by simply flipping modes.
At first, the experience with the Meta Quest 3S brought back a sense of nostalgia. But as time went on, I remembered why these headsets often gather dust in my home—I get motion sickness. Whether it was due to not eating or the stuffy heat, about 32 minutes into my demo, I gently asked to remove the headset and get some fresh air.
The Horizon World’s Music Valley Experience was my breaking point. It features Sabrina Carpenter, a personality I remember from her Disney Channel days, singing in the distance. As you approach her stage, it feels increasingly intrusive, almost as if you’re stepping into her personal space. It was too much Sabrina for my liking.
At one stage, another avatar joined the scene and showed me around the virtual landscape. They were friendly and led me to a floating alien spaceship that was distributing musical notes. Using the joysticks as claws to grab them was a challenge, and it was at this moment my stomach started to protest.
Not everything was quease-inducing though. I enjoyed watching the start of a Celine Dion special on Amazon Prime; her voice sounded amazing. I relaxed in a field of daisies through an 8K, 3D YouTube video, which was quite calming. I even shuffled around some windows, stacking them just for fun. I attempted to play an Xbox game, but the demo controller was uncooperative. I did, however, manage to jump into Just Dance—it pushed me to the brink of my limits.
Horizon Worlds was where the dizziness really hit hard. Without a stable horizon to fixate on—something that helps balance you on a rocking boat—I was caught off-guard by the queasiness while merely sitting in a chair. Next time, I think I’ll try to stay seated whenever using a headset. Although Meta has made strides in making the Quest affordable, they still need to figure out how to accommodate users with sensitive stomachs in both virtual and mixed reality environments.
The new Meta Quest 3S starts at $300 for the 128GB version, with a 256GB model available at $400. It’s available for preorder now and officially launches on October 15.
Find it at Best Buy or Amazon.
