Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition Hands On: What $400 Gets You
I have major throwback memories to 2016 as I open up the limited-edition Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition. This new VR bundle includes a black Quest 3S VR headset with Xbox green highlights, similarly colored Touch controllers and an Xbox controller, too. The original Oculus Rift headset I reviewed years ago also came with an Xbox controller inside, because back then Oculus didn't even have its VR Touch controllers yet. It was also black, not white like the current Quest headsets. It's funny how things come full circle.
This Xbox-branded Quest was announced over a year ago, but it took till now to show up. It is far from anything like PlayStation VR 2. Really, it's just a Quest 3S in black with a few extra accessories thrown in.
For $400, the deal isn't bad considering the included Meta Elite Strap and Xbox controllers run more than $100 total when bought separately. There's a three-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate trial code inside, too. But it's hardly anything anyone would need, and it's a little odd that the special bundle incorporates the lower-end 128GB capacity 3S instead of the better-visual-quality, larger-storage Quest 3.
There's that Xbox logo on the side.
Scott Stein/CNET
The Quest headsets can stream Xbox GamePass games via cloud gaming in a Quest app, throwing 2D games on a bigger virtual screen in headset. That's something you can already do on Quest headsets now; you don't need this Xbox Quest for that. This is simply a limited-edition design drop, a little collector's item.
But it also makes me wonder when (and if) Microsoft will start dipping its toes into VR and AR a bit more. Microsoft used to have its own VR hardware, and the HoloLens, and aspirations to be a key part of the XR landscape. (Also: Minecraft VR, RIP.) Times are different now, and this Xbox Quest is really just another flavor of Microsoft's "This is an Xbox" marketing campaign that's been pushing cloud gaming on tablets, TVs and everywhere else.
The Xbox Quest 3S (left) next to the white Quest 3S (right). I like the return to the black color.
Scott Stein/CNET
And yet, Microsoft is also extending some of its gaming interests. An Xbox-branded Asus Xbox ROG Ally handheld coming later this year is expected to finesse the ways Xbox games play on Windows handhelds, a stepping stone toward Microsoft figuring out how to evolve better hardware of its own eventually, perhaps. Maybe this Xbox Quest experiment is another toe in the water to gauge interest in other things, too.
Scott Stein/CNET
For now, it's just a fun way to get a black Quest 3S. But it's also weird because the Quest 3S is not the best-quality Quest headset for visual fidelity. The Quest 3 has a better-resolution display and better lenses. And this is just the 128GB version of the Quest 3S, not the 256GB model. Xbox cloud streaming may not need more storage, but plenty of beefy Quest game downloads do. An Xbox Quest 3 would have made more sense to me, but it would have cost more than $400.
My suggestion? I think Meta should bring back the black VR headset color option to all of its headsets, because it looks really good.
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Why is the DJ emcee shouting like a pop concert introducing a celebrity, and everyone is blood-curdling screaming and cheering? Chill. We just saw them all at the ceremony, and things were actually calm and beautiful. They're getting a bit trashy." —savorytree93 3."Hay bales, cowboy boots, or anything 'barn chic.' Barns are never chic. Food trucks (especially messy tacos), that loopy farmhouse font on chalkboard signs, hair styled with two super straight pieces hanging down in front or Sound of Music braids, 18 bridesmaids and the exact same number of groomsmen because god forbid you have a woman without a man." "Everyone looks back and sees the trendiness in their own wedding, but there are some tried and true classics. Brides from the '40s and '50s are almost always stunning. You will 100% regret letting dressed-up kids make s'mores or doing a goofy dance down the aisle, no matter how fun they seem in the moment." —kestrelh 4."Spending thousands on a few hours of a party! My friend went into debt $60,000 for her wedding. He was cheating on her at her bridal shower! They split in a year, and she was stuck paying it off!" —crunchymagazine51 5."I have seen SO many of the baroque/drop waist wedding dresses lately, and I love them so much. But I also could totally see those being viewed similar to how we view '80s wedding dress styles!" "I truly do not care, though, because I think they are so beautiful when done well, and I love them much more than the lace everything style — but that's just more my vibe!" —neitherbooksmartnorstreetsmart 6."Many expensive getaways before the wedding for bridesmaids. It's one thing to buy a dress, shoes, a hotel, and airfare for a wedding, but having multiple bridesmaid weekends that require lots of travel, not to mention showers, and paying for everything for all of these, is just killing me." "At each bridesmaids' weekend, we also had to buy clothing in different color palettes or themes. On top of this, there are gifts for each one. I don't want to cry cheap, but there is only so much money in a millennial income." —ellie4me 7."Acrylic signs." —u/Additional_Sundae_55 8."The rustic look, specifically a geometric, wooden-shaped altar with some flower attached to it." —u/scarletnightingale "I never understood the geometric arches. I mean, everyone should do what they want, but at NO POINT in this process did I think, 'You know what my ceremony REALLY needs? The ability to stand inside a hexagon!'" —u/mimbulusmimbletonia8 9."Pampas grass and triangle arches. Boho dresses." —u/DonTot "I can't wait for pampas grass to be a thing of the past… that's expensive for being dead, dry weeds." —u/rqnadi 10."Tombstones everywhere. The arches, the table numbers, the menus." —u/voldiemort 11."The neon signs, especially of the newlywed's last names." —u/scarletnightingale 12."I'm seeing a lot of '70s-inspired wedding looks these days, and I think it's going to look the way the early 2010s boho/hipster vibe looks to us now." —u/innocentstrawberry 13."Donut walls." —u/Cheese-spaghetti 14."Design/decor: The cursive font, marquee letters, neon signs, film cameras on tables, and Y2K/'70s design elements." —u/happytransformer 15."In terms of dresses, I think the more form-fitting, lace style will be dated (but that is also what I got, so no hate). In terms of rings, the solitaire cut and pave band are both very trendy, so I can see those being dated. Diamonds, in general, are also becoming less popular, so we may see a shift to a nondiamond ring, which is more common." —u/puffyhoe 16."I hate the beige/white/tan aesthetic. Most people I know that choose this do so because they think it's 'timeless.' I just find it boring 😴. To each their own, but I'm definitely a bold design/color girly." —u/Teepuppylove 17."Mismatched bridesmaids dresses. I love the idea of everyone being comfortable in styles they like, and I will adopt the trend for my next wedding next year. But something tells me the trend won't vanish but will die drastically." —u/JawBoneBreaker1 18."I'm actually surprised the cursive 'bridesmaid' font hasn't died off yet. I hate that font." —u/Ok-Housing5911 19."The bare/minimal icing wedding cakes! I think they're cute, but it's a trend and will probably look dated in photos." —u/complete_doodle 20."On wedding dresses: The tops that look like lingerie. Super cute if that's your style, but in a few years, it'll be so dated." —u/TinyTurtle88 "Corset-style dresses are the 2020s version of the '80s/'90s poofy-sleeve trend." —u/Waste-Carpenter-8035 21."Bows. While they're pretty, and I'm actually planning on a few bow things for my wedding next year, I think this trend will be done within the next few years. I can see people thinking it looks too young or something." —u/iceicemilkshake 22."Desaturated photos. The ones where the colors aren't true, or there's so much white light to make everyone look ethereal." "Also, the dresses with fabric appliqués all over them." —u/EmeraldLovergreen 23."Blurry film photos." —u/One_Yam_9539 24."All those mirror sign seating charts since they're difficult to read." —u/puffyhoe 25."The washed-out pastel color schemes, especially sage or mint green. Shades of rusty orange are also big now, especially for fall weddings, and I don't think it always will be the case." —u/TerribleAttitude 26."Gloves and pearls. The oval diamond on a thin gold band. Confused as to why so many people say it's timeless because it's clearly a hallmark of 2020s rings." —u/lax1245 27."Something I'm including in my wedding that I'm sure will be dated soon: Alternative bouquets." "I'm doing a LEGO bouquet. I see crochet bouquets are becoming more popular, but honestly, I think it's one of those things like themed weddings where some people will always do it, but it won't be as common as it is now." —u/LittleBug088 28."I hope the extravagance dies out. My heart aches for these couples spending upper five and six figures mostly for the aesthetic, and then, they come back here and post about everything that went wrong." —u/Frannie97 And finally... 29."I have so many thoughts! Champagne towers. Everyone wearing colored sunglasses and glow sticks. The drop/baroque-waist wedding dresses. Eucalyptus. Sparkler exits." "The fake handwriting font, and similarly, the elongated cursive everyone uses. Bud vases. 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