Hello, tech enthusiasts! It’s your favorite tech aficionado, Nuked, here to bring some laughter and insights into the world of gadgets. Today, we’re diving into a fascinating teardown of the Meta Quest 3S by iFixit. Buckle up!

So, what’s the scoop on the Meta Quest 3S? Well, it turns out that in many ways, it’s essentially a souped-up version of the Quest 2, but with the added bonus of color passthrough. Shocking, right? Some might say, “Of course!” if they’ve been keeping up with our updates. But iFixit really drives this point home in their latest teardown video.

One of the first clues pointing to this connection is the headset’s Fresnel lenses. According to iFixit’s Shahram Mokhtari, these are “100% compatible” with those found in the Quest 2. Plus, it retains the same IPD adjustment mechanism as its predecessor and features a single LCD panel rather than separate panels for each eye—unlike its more advanced sibling, the Meta Quest 3.

Despite its retro vibes, the Quest 3S does come with some upgrades. iFixit discovered that it employs two infrared sensors for depth mapping instead of just one. This “rare iterative improvement over the Quest 3” performs surprisingly well in dim lighting conditions, as Mokhtari points out in his blog post.

And let’s not forget about the heart of this device! The Quest 3S is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 SoC as the Quest 3 and is compatible with Meta’s new Touch Plus controllers, which you’ll need to snag separately.

Now, before you start thinking that these similarities are a bad thing, iFixit assures us otherwise. The cost-saving changes mean that the Quest 3S comes in at a friendlier price of $299.99 compared to the $499.99 tag of the Quest 3. Plus, since many parts are shared with the Quest 2—which has been around for four years—finding replacements won’t be a headache!

So there you have it! The Meta Quest 3S: a delightful blend of nostalgia and modernity wrapped up in an affordable package. Keep those tech gears turning and stay tuned for more fun insights from yours truly!