Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition Launches for $399 — Premium VR Bundle for Fans

Image: Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition

Microsoft and Meta have officially released the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition, a special version of the Meta Quest 3S VR headset designed with Xbox fans in mind.

Priced at $399.99, the headset is now available in limited quantities through select retailers, including Meta.com, Best Buy in the U.S., and Argos or EE in the U.K.

The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition doesn’t introduce any groundbreaking features on the hardware side but stands out thanks to its Xbox-inspired black and green design and a bundle of thoughtful extras that will appeal to collectors and enthusiasts.

The headset comes with 128GB of storage, an Xbox-branded Bluetooth controller, Meta’s Elite Strap, Touch Plus controllers, three months of Meta Horizon+, and three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

It's essentially a Meta Quest 3S with a slick coat of Xbox paint, carefully curated accessories, and a focus on Xbox Cloud Gaming integration.

The bundled controller is pre-paired, and the Xbox Cloud Gaming app is ready to go right out of the box — just sign in, and you're set.

Specs-wise, the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition features a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 1832×1920 resolution LCD, and a field of view of 96 degrees. The battery life averages around 2 to 2.5 hours, which is standard for VR headsets in this range.

According to reports from Insider Gaming, the edition is indeed limited, with some Best Buy locations reportedly receiving as few as two units per store. Microsoft’s Lori Wright, Corporate VP of Gaming Partnerships, emphasized this exclusivity, saying, “Once they’re gone, they’re gone.”

While the limited edition headset doesn’t offer VR compatibility with Xbox consoles (you won’t be playing Starfield in VR here), it is optimized for cloud-based Xbox experiences. Users can play their favorite Xbox titles on a giant virtual screen through Xbox Cloud Gaming — all within the Quest’s mixed reality environment.

In terms of value, the $399 price tag might initially seem steep, especially considering the base Meta Quest 3S sells for $299. But when factoring in the included controller, strap upgrade, and subscription services, the bundle becomes more reasonable.

Visually, the device looks sharp, with Xbox-style carbon black surfaces and green velocity accents, aligning it with other Xbox peripherals like the official headset or Elite controllers.

Early impressions, including those from Windows Central’s Jez Corden, highlight improvements in user experience thanks to the Quest 3S’s inside-out tracking and usability enhancements over the previous generation. However, the headset still won’t satisfy hardcore VR gamers looking for console-native VR support. Also, while Xbox Cloud Gaming works well with solid internet, regional limitations and minor software quirks — like the inability to change the app’s default language — persist.

Ultimately, this headset feels like a collector’s edition — a flashy showcase of Microsoft’s expanding cloud gaming vision rather than a leap forward in hardware. But if you're an Xbox fan who’s been on the fence about VR or cloud gaming, this limited edition bundle might be just the nudge you need.