If you've been eyeing VR gaming but the price tag has been a deterrent, prepare to be excited! Amazon is offering an incredible deal on the Meta Quest 3S 256GB VR headset—a whopping $50 off, bringing the price down to just $349. That's a mere $50 more than the base 128GB model, making it a fantastic upgrade for those who want more storage for their untethered VR adventures. This outright discount easily surpasses any Black Friday deals, which often involved less desirable digital credit or store-specific gift cards.

To make this deal even sweeter, the package includes a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow VR and a three-month trial of Meta Quest+. IGN's 8/10 review praised the game, stating that "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 with Batman: Arkham Shadow VR

$399.99 $349.00 at Amazon

The Quest 3S surpasses the original Quest 2 in every aspect, remarkably without a price increase. It also boasts many features of the pricier Quest 3, including the improved Touch Plus controllers, the upgraded Snapdragon APU, and support for full-color AR passthrough. IGN's 9/10 review of the Quest 3S raves: "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 truly sets this deal apart is the Quest 3S's completely untethered gameplay. Enjoy titles like Beat Saber or Pistol Whip without needing a powerful gaming PC or PlayStation 5. You won't find another standalone VR headset at this price point.

How Does the Quest 3S Differ from the Quest 3?

Even at its retail price, the Quest 3S is $200 (40%) cheaper than the Quest 3. Naturally, some compromises were made to achieve this competitive price. Here's a comparison:

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)

Essentially, the Quest 3S offers nearly identical functionality with slightly downgraded optics. The lower resolution, however, may actually improve performance and battery life due to reduced processing load.

For the price, the Quest 3S offers unparalleled value, making it a better choice for most gamers, especially those who previously found the Quest 3 too expensive. Compared to the Quest 2, the decision is even easier.

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