The Quest 3 has never been cheaper | Tech Reader

For anyone on the fence about getting into VR gaming, Meta just gave a shove to move you to the yes side. You can now get a Meta Quest 3 with a library of VR games for just $25 per month.

When a deal sounds too good to be true, I check for the hidden charges and obligations. In this case, there are no tricks, unless you don’t like the sound of a Meta Quest+ game subscription. Let’s dig into the details.

You get a Meta Quest 3, one of the best VR headsets with great mixed reality capabilities, and a library of games. The 128GB version costs $500 to buy outright. I’m happy with my 128GB Quest 3, but the 512GB model gives you extra room to install multiple big games for $650.

Meta’s Horizon OS includes a web browser that recently gained the ability to display up to six windows at once, a media player with lots of 360 and VR content, a spatial video and panorama viewer, live chat with friends in VR, and Horizon Worlds, which includes several free games.

While that can keep new users busy for a while, you’ll soon be eager for more thrilling action games, immersive adventures, and simulations. That’s where Meta Quest+ comes in. The $8 monthly subscription gives you a revolving catalog of 16 top Quest 3 games. The list includes several top games like Red Matter, Demeo, Espire, Wallace and Gromit in the Grand Getaway, and Walkabout Mini Golf.

As a long-time Quest gamer, I already own many of the games in the catalog, but if you’re new to the Quest, the subscription is worth the money. It’s a terrific way to explore a large variety of VR games.

Meta’s “Play now, pay later” subscription costs $24.99, and has a 24-month term. That adds up to $599.76, nearly $100 less than the cost of a 128GB Quest 3 and two years of Quest+.

For $35 per month, you can choose the 512GB Quest 3. Your total investment will be $839.76, which is only a few dollars less than buying the headset and game subscription separately. You still get the benefit of 0% financing so you can pay for the headset over a two-year period.

The only fine print to be aware of is that Affirm might run a credit check to verify you qualify for the purchase.

I do expect Meta to launch a less expensive Quest 3S VR headset this fall, but it won’t be as nice as the Quest 3. If you were thinking about getting a Quest 3 for yourself or as a gift, Meta’s subscription offer is a low-cost way to join the VR revolution.