Just recently, Meta released a more affordable Meta Quest 3S VR headset starting at just $299.99. At the same time, they announced permanent price drops on the existing Meta Quest 3 VR headsets. The 512GB model dropped to $499.99 from its launch price of $650, and the 128GB model dropped to $429.99 from its launch price of $500.
With such deep discounts less than two months before the big sales event, can we reasonably expect the Quest 3 to be discounted even more on Black Friday? Is there even a chance the Quest 3S will go on sale despite the fact that it is a super new release? Our answer: Maybe.
Meta Quest 3 and 3S Black Friday Price Predictions
The most likely scenario is that neither the Quest 3 nor the Quest 3S will drop in price at all. However, if this was a particularly good Black Friday, we might see the Quest 3 128GB model drop to $399.99 and the 512GB model drop to $449.99. That's a small but certainly not an insignificant 10% discount. The Quest 3S 128GB model might drop to $279.99 at best; that's a 6% discount, but what can you reasonably expect for such a recent release?
What's actually more likely to happen is that Meta – as well as some of its officially licensed retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart – will bundle the Quest 3 and the 3S with some freebie accessories or games. Technically these aren't discounts, but you'll still be saving money. In the past, bundled accessories have included the Elite VR headstrap, carrying case, silicone facial interface, or the official Oculus Link cable.
Additional free games are also a very viable possibility. The Quest 3 and 3S already comes bundled with Batman: Arkham Shadow (which we gave an 8/10 in our review), but I wouldn't be surprised if a Black Friday bundle popped up that included Beat Saber, Asgard's Wrath 2, or a gift card that can be used to buy a game of your own choosing.
The Quest 3s is the most accessible VR headset
The Quest 3s is an improvement over the original Quest 2 in every way and amazingly, without a price increase. It adopts many of the same features of the Quest 3, like the new Touch controllers, the upgraded SnapDragon APU, and full color AR passthrough. In his 9/10 Quest 3S review, Gabriel Moss wrote that "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.
The Quest 3's improved optics justify its higher price tag
Even with the release of the Quest 3S, the Quest 3 is still an outstanding and relevant VR headset in its own right, and a purchase that is much easier to justify after the September price drop. The Quest 3 features better optics that include a new thinner pancake lens, increased resolution, wider FOV, and native 120Hz refresh rate.
I actually reviewed the Quest 3 headset for IGN. In the article, I wrote that "the Quest 3 continues Meta’s legacy of offering a cost-effective headset that doesn’t require an expensive gaming PC, but can still benefit from one if you have it. That’s a unique feature that sets it apart from almost every other VR headset out there, other than its own predecessors. The sheer amount of upgrades are well worth the $200 generational price increase. For everyone who is willing to make the splurge, the Quest 3 sets the new standard for VR and mixed reality gaming."
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
