Rumor | Leaks detail possible Meta Quest 3 Lite budget VR headset

Fresh leaks making the rounds claim that Meta will release a new inexpensive VR headset. Currently dubbed either the "Meta Quest 3 Lite" or "Meta Quest 3S," the new headset is rumored to be a budget-friendly alternative to the Meta Quest 3.

The rumors come courtesy of VR Panda (@ZGFTECH on X, formerly known as Twitter) and a user on Reddit under the screen name u/LuffySanKira. VR Panda posted a supposed render of the Meta Quest 3 Lite, which looks like a carbon-copy of the Meta Quest 3 sans the front-mounted cameras.

The Meta Quest 3's camera array allows for visual passthrough, meaning wearers can see their surroundings via these cameras with the headset on. If the Meta Quest 3 Lite lacks this array, it may also lack visual passthrough (at least in color). Removing these cameras could drop the price of the headset a fair bit. 

This leak did not show any controllers.

Another leak, posted roughly 38 hours later on X by @Lunayian, claimed that a Reddit user going by u/LuffySanKira snapped a screenshot of a slide detailing the rumored Meta Quest 3S (aka the Meta Quest 3 Lite). The slide, according to u/LuffySanKira, was shown during a Meta user Zoom meeting.

In the slide, the Meta Quest 3S is compared to the Meta Quest 3. Compared to its bigger brother's 2064x2208 display, the Quest 3S will have a resolution of 1832x1920 and 20 pixels per degree, or ppd. It will also ship with either 128 GB or 256 GB of onboard storage, compared to the Quest 3's 128 GB or 512 GB options. The Quest 3S also includes a front camera array, contradicting VR Panda's earlier leak.

These leaks should be taken with a mine's worth of salt grains. The original Reddit post from u/LuffySanKira appears to have been deleted, and this information comes entirely from single sources on X. Not only that, but the leaks contradict each other in some details, primarily the design of the Meta Quest 3 List/Meta Quest 3S. As such, it is probable these are simply faked renders and leaks. However, considering Apple's push into the virtual reality and augmented reality markets with the pricey Apple Vision Pro, a budget VR headset would make quite a splash.