Xbox-branded Meta Quest 3S is now available

This is a new era for the Xbox brand.

After reports swirled recently, Xbox and Meta announced just today an Xbox-branded version of the popular VR and AR headset, the Meta Quest 3S. This is the next addition to the Xbox line of consoles that aren't made by Microsoft themself, but made by other companies to further the Xbox brand.

The VR headset is priced at $400 and is only available in the US and the UK. The Quest 3S is in the Xbox color scheme of black with green accents and has controllers to match. The companies say that Xbox accessories will be compatible, including the Xbox Wireless and Elite Controller, and other controllers like the BackBone Pro. Just like the normal version of the headset, the Quest 3S comes with 128GB of storage.

Along with the headset itself, the Quest 3S box contains 3 months of both Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Meta Horizon+. This is in line with the release of Xbox Game Pass and Game Streaming to the Quest headset through the Xbox app recently.

The headset is available now, however, Xbox says "quantities are extremely limited." This is also because the console is strictly special edition, not a separate device.

This is something none of us were really expecting, but it makes sense how they are trying to grow the Xbox ecosystem. We just saw the Xbox ROG Ally X, the first device to be branded with the Xbox name that isn't an Xbox. Then, this announcement furthers this idea. By developing other platforms to work well with Windows and Xbox, it could drive more sales and create a more cohesive experience.

This also could mean that Xbox is thinking of working more with Mixed Reality, and starting with an established player like Meta is a smart move. Microsoft saw what happened with Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and starting with Meta could give them a solid base to work with.

We will have to wait and see what Xbox and Meta do soon.