If you've been eager to dive into VR gaming but found the cost prohibitive, the first great Meta Quest deal of 2025 is your golden opportunity. Best Buy is currently offering a $50 discount on the Meta Quest 3S 256GB VR headset, bringing the price down to just $349.99. But wait, there's more! Along with this discount, you'll receive a $50 Best Buy gift card and a free one-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, effectively matching the price of the base 128GB model.
To make the deal even sweeter, the package includes a copy of the Batman: Arkham Shadow VR game and a three-month trial of Meta Quest+. In IGN's 8/10 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
Originally priced at $399.99, you can now snag the Quest 3S for just $349.99 at Best Buy, saving you 13%. The Quest 3S is a significant upgrade from the Quest 2, maintaining the same price point. It incorporates several features from the more expensive Quest 3, including the new and improved Touch controllers, the upgraded Snapdragon APU, and support for full-color AR passthrough. In IGN's 9/10 review of the Quest 3S, Gabriel Moss noted, "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 from other VR offers is that the Meta Quest 3S can 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. You won't find another standalone VR headset at this price point.
How Is the Quest 3S Different from the Quest 3?
Even at its full retail price, the Quest 3S is $200 cheaper than the $500 Quest 3. To achieve this competitive price, some compromises were made. Here's how the two headsets 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)
Essentially, the Quest 3S is nearly identical to the Quest 3 but with downgraded optics. The advantage here is that both headsets use the same processor, so running at a lower resolution can ease the load on the APU, potentially enhancing game performance and contributing to the longer battery life.
For the price, the Quest 3S offers better value than the Quest 3 and is a more suitable choice for most gamers, especially if the Quest 3 was beyond your budget. When compared to the previous generation Quest 2, the decision becomes even clearer.
Why Should You Trust IGN's Deals Team?
IGN's deals team boasts over 30 years of collective experience in uncovering the best discounts across gaming, tech, and numerous other categories. Our commitment is to guide our readers towards genuine deals without pushing unnecessary purchases. We focus on highlighting the best possible deals from reputable brands and products our editorial team has firsthand experience with. For more details on our process, you can visit our deals standards page or follow the latest deals we find on IGN's Deals account on Twitter.