Latest news with #Xbox-branded
Engadget
4 days ago
- Engadget
The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition is out now and it costs $400
Your Yahoo privacy setting is blocking social media and third-party content You can Allow your personal information to be shared and sold. Something went wrong. Try again. You can update your choice anytime by going to your privacy controls, which are linked to throughout our sites and apps. This page will now refresh. The limited-edition, Xbox-branded Meta Quest 3S headset has arrived. Reports over the weekend suggested that this model, which Meta announced a little over a year ago, would become available on June 24 and that turned out to be the case. This version of the headset comes in Xbox's classic black aesthetic with a green trim, and a matching Xbox Wireless Controller and Touch Plus controllers. You'll be able to connect other controllers to the headset, including the Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controller, as well as third-party gamepads like the Backbone Pro. The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition has 128GB of storage and comes with an Elite Strap, as well as three months of access to both Meta Horizon+ and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. With the latter, you can play games via the cloud on the Xbox app, including supported games you own that are not part of the Game Pass Ultimate catalog. At $400, this bundle costs a bit more than the standard $300 Meta Quest 3S. Microsoft says that the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition is available now, but "quantities are extremely limited." If you'd like to pick one up, you can do so from Meta's website, Best Buy in the US and Argos and EE in the UK. It's only available in those two countries. The Xbox app with cloud gaming support has been available on Quest headsets since late 2023. Still, this partnership aligns with Microsoft's push to have Xbox games accessible on as many devices as possible. The company recently announced Xbox-branded ASUS ROG Ally handheld gaming PCs that will be available later this year, and it has hinted at a more open future for the Xbox platform.
CNET
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
I Wish Meta and Microsoft's New Quest 3S Xbox Edition Was More Than Just a New Color
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.
Metro
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Xbox VR headset leaks and its release date is a bit of a shock
Microsoft looks set to launch another Xbox-branded device this year, as the company makes its first step into virtual reality. If the future of Xbox seems in flux, between cancelled handhelds and promises of multiple devices for the next generation, the company's stance on virtual reality is one area where it has remained relatively consistent over the years. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has expressed his reluctance to create VR hardware several times in the past. In 2019, he dismissed the technology and said 'nobody's asking for VR' on Xbox, three years after the PlayStation VR had launched. Spencer later reiterated this stance in 2021, emphasising how Xbox wants keep its focus on software. Since then, Microsoft has opened its arms somewhat through Xbox Cloud Gaming, which has been compatible with Meta Quest headsets since 2023. Just like the company's step into the handheld space though with the ROG Xbox Ally, it seems Xbox might be testing the waters for its own VR headset with a new partnership. Last week, a report on GameSandwich claimed Meta was planning to shadow drop an Xbox branded Meta Quest 3S headset on Tuesday, June 24, priced at $399 (roughly £299 if directly converted). According to the report's sources, the Xbox version will include a black and green headset with matching accessories, including an elite strap, an Xbox wireless controller, and three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. In other words, it would be the same Meta Quest 3S headset at its core, only with some additional Xbox branding. On the same day, a picture of the headset cropped up online, showing the box for the 'Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition'. The original source of the image has since deleted the post, but it has been shared widely by other accounts on X. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Microsoft hasn't announced the headset, so it's worth taking this with a pinch of salt, but it certainly seems like it exists. If the aforementioned rumour is true, we'll simply have to wait till tomorrow, June 24 to see if it does materialise. More Trending Earlier this month, Xbox announced a partnership with AMD to create chips for a 'portfolio of devices' for its 'next generation Xbox consoles'. 'At Xbox our vision is for you to play the games you want, with the people you want, anywhere you want,' Xbox president Sarah Bond said. 'That's why we're investing in our next generation hardware line-up, across console, handheld, PC, cloud, and accessories.' Much like its collaboration with Asus on the ROG Xbox Ally, it seems any partnership with Meta is outside of Xbox's next generation plans – and might instead be another way to leverage Xbox Game Pass, and the overall brand, into other markets. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Games Inbox: Is Mario Kart World better than Mario Kart 8? MORE: Unrivalled success has ruined PS5 and the PlayStation brand – Reader's Feature MORE: Pokémon North American International Championships 2025 report – Dragapults down south
Engadget
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Xbox's VR headset with Meta could release sooner than we thought
Xbox has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a chunky console. It's recently taken on the form of an Asus gaming handheld, and it might even be packaged as a VR headset soon. According to an image leaked on X and Game Sandwich , Xbox is reportedly teaming up with Meta to release an Xbox-branded Quest 3S headset in the coming days. The rumored specs show a very similar build to the base model Quest 3S with 128GB of storage, but will reportedly be bundled with an Xbox wireless controller, a Meta Quest Elite strap and three months of Xbox Game Pass. There's been no official announcement from Xbox or Meta yet, but a blog post from 2024 noted that the two companies were working together to "create a limited-edition Meta Quest, inspired by Xbox." While it's important to take this rumor with a grain of salt, Xbox seems interested in opening up its hardware for collaboration with other companies, as indicated by the recent release of the ROG Xbox Ally. As for the rumored Xbox version of the Meta Quest 3S, those who already own the base model headset might not be the target demographic since you can already run Xbox Game Pass on it. Instead, this VR headset could be marketed as a convincing entry point for anyone looking to get into VR and is already familiar with the Xbox ecosystem. According to Game Sandwich 's sources, this Xbox-branded VR headset will cost $399 and is set to drop on June 24. If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.
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Business Standard
18-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Microsoft confirms next Xbox with AMD chip, cross-platform game support
The upcoming Xbox will support multiple devices, third-party game stores, and backward compatibility. Built on Windows and powered by AMD, it marks a shift to an open and unified gaming ecosystem New Delhi Microsoft has confirmed that it is working on next-generation Xbox console in partnership with AMD, with a focus on making gaming more accessible across platforms. Xbox president Sarah Bond shared in a video posted on the official Xbox YouTube channel: 'We've established a strategic, multi-year agreement with AMD to co-engineer silicon across a portfolio of devices, including our next-generation Xbox consoles.' Rather than being a standalone console, the new Xbox is part of a larger shift towards a cross-platform ecosystem. 'Designed for players, not tied to a single store or device, and fully compatible with your existing Xbox game library,' Bond said. Windows-first and multi-store support The new console will be based on a Windows-first approach, positioning Windows as the primary operating system for gaming. This strategy could open the door to third-party platforms such as Steam, expanding beyond Microsoft's own store. The approach is expected to be similar to what Asus is doing with its upcoming Xbox-branded handhelds. Backward compatibility and ecosystem integration A major feature of the next Xbox is backward compatibility, allowing users to play titles from their existing Xbox game library on the new hardware. This move supports continuity for long-time users and reduces the friction typically associated with hardware transitions. A broader Xbox platform The announcements underline Microsoft's shift in strategy: Xbox is no longer just a console but a broad, adaptable platform. It is designed to work seamlessly across devices, third-party stores and cloud services, all unified under the Xbox brand.
