Where to buy a Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition — and why it's a better bargain than the "normal" Meta Quest 3S

The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition just launched, giving gamers another way to enjoy their favorite titles. The VR headset is the culmination of a partnership between Microsoft and Meta that was teased last year but took a while to bear fruit.

The collaboration was a surprise when it was initially announced, but it has resulted in an excellent bargain for those looking to jump into virtual reality. My friend Nicholas Sutrich, who heads up VR coverage over at Android Central, called the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition the "best value in VR."

Best Value

Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition: $399.99 at Best Buy

This special edition Meta Quest 3S comes with an Xbox controller, a preinstalled ergonomic head strap, three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and three months of Horizon+. It's also the only way to get the VR headset, its controllers, and the included Xbox controller in Carbon Black with Velocity Green accents.

The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition is available for purchase now, but only for a limited time.

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Sean Endicott

I've reviewed VR headsets and covered the virtual reality space for years, dating back to the awkward days of the Gear VR. I've played the best Meta Quest games, interviewed game developers while battling in virtual reality, and am no stranger to streaming Xbox games through the cloud.

Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition vs Meta Quest 3S

In terms of internal hardware and software capabilities, the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition is identical to its non-Xbox-branded counterpart, and that's a good thing. In his Meta Quest 3S review, Sutrich gave the headset a 4.5 out of 5.

The Meta Quest 3S has powerful internals, next-gen controllers and hand tracking, and comes at an excellent price of $299.99.

So, you may be asking why the Xbox Edition headset, which has a $399.99 price tag, costs $100 more. Luckily, you get more than just a fancy exclusive color for that extra $100.

The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition comes with a pre-installed Elite Strap ($70 value), an Xbox controller ($65 value), and three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ($60 value). It also comes with three months of Horizon+, though that subscription from Meta comes with any Quest headset.

It is also the only way to get the custom Carbon Black colorway with Velocity Green trim. That color scheme extends across the headset itself, the Meta Quest controllers, and the limited-edition Xbox controller that's part of the bundle.

All versions of the Meta Quest 3S (Xbox Edition or not) support the best Meta Quest games. You can also stream games to the headset through Xbox Cloud Gaming. The headset does not support playing Xbox games natively, which makes sense considering it is not an Xbox console.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is preinstalled on the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition. The Xbox controller that ships with the headset comes pre-paired, so you can sign into your Xbox account and start streaming games quickly.

Like most non-native content on a VR headset, streamed games aren’t as immersive as native VR experiences. But the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition provides a massive virtual canvas that makes it feel like you're playing games on a giant TV.

If you have a gaming PC capable of playing VR games, you can connect the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition to your PC through USB-C or Wi-Fi.

The partnership between Microsoft and Meta may have been a surprise initially, but the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition is an excellent bargain for those looking to immerse themselves in VR. It combines the budget-friendly design of the Meta Quest 3S with some nice perks, including an exclusive Xbox controller, plus three months each of two subscriptions to help you get started.