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Meta Quest 3S vs Valve Steam Frame

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

MetaQuest 3SValveSteam Frame
Overview
ReleasedOctober 2024September 2026
Display
Resolution per eye1832 × 19202160 × 2160
PanelLCDLCD
Refresh rate120 Hz144 Hz
Pixels per degree20–
Field of view96° horizontal110° horizontal
Display detailsLCD, 1832 × 1920 per eye; 20 PPD, 773 PPI; 72, 90 and 120 HzTwo 2160 × 2160 LCD panels, one per eye; 72, 80, 90, 120 and 144 Hz (144 Hz experimental)
LensesFresnel lenses; 96° horizontal and 90° vertical field of view; glasses spacer includedCustom pancake lenses with glass and non-glass elements; field of view up to 110° (Valve gives 110° horizontal and vertical to UploadVR); eyeglasses up to 140 mm wide
Lens spacing (IPD)3-position interaxial distance (IAD) adjustment60–70 mm target range, adjusted with a wheel on top of the headset
Tracking and input
Eye trackingNoYes
Hand trackingYesNo
Controllers in the boxYesYes
Colour passthroughYesNo
SensorsInside-out with four IR cameras, two RGB cameras and two flood LEDs; hybrid computer vision and machine learning controller tracking; Direct Touch hand trackingInside-out; 4 outward-facing monochrome cameras for headset and controller tracking with IR illuminators for low light; 2 interior cameras for eye tracking and foveated streaming; no controller-free hand tracking (UploadVR)
ControllersTwo Touch Plus controllers (ring-free), TruTouch variable haptics; one AA battery eachSteam Frame Controllers with 6-DoF tracking, ABXY buttons (right), D-pad (left), full-size magnetic TMR thumbsticks with capacitive touch, analogue triggers, bumpers, dual-stage grip buttons, capacitive finger tracking and a haptic motor; one AA battery each, about 40 hours; 130 g each with battery
PassthroughFull-colour passthrough from two RGB cameras (4 MP, 18 PPD)Monochrome passthrough from the outward-facing cameras; front expansion port (dual MIPI camera interface or PCIe Gen 4 x1) takes accessories such as the Arcturus Vision colour camera
Performance
WorksStandalone or with a PCStandalone or with a PC
ChipSnapdragon XR2 Gen 2Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Storage128 GB, 256 GB256 GB, 1 TB
Chip detailsSnapdragon XR2 Gen 24 nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, ARM64; runs SteamOS 3 (Arch-based) with KDE Plasma desktop
Memory8 GB RAM16 GB unified LPDDR5X; 256 GB or 1 TB UFS storage; microSD card slot
ConnectionsPC VR over the Meta Quest Link cable or Air Link over Wi-Fi; Wi-Fi 6EStreams from a PC, Steam Deck or Steam Machine over Wi-Fi; headset has Wi-Fi 7 2 × 2 with dual radios (5 GHz Wi-Fi and 6 GHz VR streaming at once); Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz) USB wireless adapter included; Bluetooth 5.4; no DisplayPort cable connection
Design
BatteryBuilt inBuilt in
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 2.5 hours–
Weight (headset)514 g440 g
Battery details4,324 mAh; up to 2.5 hours on average (gaming 2.7, media 2.8, productivity 1.8 hours); about 1.9 hours to charge with the 18 W adapter21.6 Wh Li-ion battery at the back of the headstrap; charges over USB-C 2.0 at up to 45 W (15 V, 3 A); Valve doesn't give a battery life
AudioBuilt-in speakers with spatial audio; USB-C headphones, or 3.5 mm headphones with an adapter sold separatelyDual speaker drivers per ear built into the headstrap; dual microphone array
StrapSoft adjustable strap; hard strap sold separatelyModular headstrap (245 g) holding the speakers and battery; the 185 g core module detaches for other straps; core module and facial interface 175 × 95 × 110 mm
In the boxHeadset, standard facial interface, glasses spacer, two Touch Plus controllers with wrist straps and AA batteries, power adapter, charging cableHeadset, two Steam Frame Controllers, Wi-Fi 6E wireless adapter, standard light blocker, face gasket and head cushion; Half-Life: Alyx licence. No power supply; Valve sells a 45 W one separately

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