Cheaper but Still Unsettling: My Experience

It’s been a while since I’ve donned a mixed reality headset, mainly because I’ve been using my foldable Android device for most of my computing needs lately. The Quest 2 has been gathering dust at home for the same reason. However, my recent encounter with Meta’s Quest 3S at the Meta Connect event has made me rethink whether this kind of technology deserves a place in my everyday life. I just wish it didn’t make me feel so queasy.

Meta has unveiled the Quest 3S headset, with prices starting at $300. It’s a bit more budget-friendly than the standard Quest 3, running on the same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 platform. The trade-off comes in the form of a reduced field of view compared to the higher-end model. Despite this, it’s still an improvement over what we had in the Quest and Quest 2. Meta seems to be targeting folks like me who haven’t used their headsets much lately and might be looking for a reason to upgrade. The device offers a full-color mixed reality passthrough, and during my demo, I was able to switch modes with ease.

When I first started using the Meta Quest 3S, I found myself remembering how much I enjoyed the experience. But by the time I finished, I was reminded why I haven’t used these headsets in a while—I get motion sickness. Whether it was due to skipping breakfast or the room being too warm, I’m not sure, but around the 32-minute mark, I had to kindly excuse myself and take off the headset to return to reality.

The thing that really tipped my stomach over was Horizon World’s Music Valley Experience. This feature showcases Sabrina Carpenter, whom I remember from her Disney Channel days, performing on a virtual stage. As I moved closer to her, the immersion level increased to the point where it felt almost too real, like invading someone’s personal space.

At one point, another avatar joined in and started dancing alongside me. This person was nice enough to guide me around the digital landscape, and we ended up near a hovering alien spaceship that was dishing out music notes. Trying to grab them with the joysticks proved challenging for me, and it was during this activity that I really started to feel queasy.

Still, I did have some enjoyable moments during my time with the Quest 3S. I watched a bit of a Celine Dion special on Amazon Prime, and her voice was fantastic. I also found some peace sitting in a field of daisies in an 8K, 3D YouTube video. Moving and stacking virtual windows was somewhat entertaining, though not very skillfully done on my part. I attempted to play an Xbox game, but the demo controller wasn’t cooperating. I did get a chance to try Just Dance, but by then, my tolerance was waning.

The nausea hit hardest in Horizon Worlds due to the absence of a stable horizon—something you usually focus on to find your balance, like on a rocking boat. I didn’t expect to feel that way just sitting in a chair, which is likely what I’ll be doing next time I put on a headset. While Meta has managed to reduce the cost of the Quest 3S, they still need to find a way to cater to those of us with sensitive stomachs when it comes to virtual and mixed reality.

The new Meta Quest 3S is available for preorder with prices starting at $300 for 128GB of storage and $400 for the 256GB version. It officially hits the shelves on October 15.