Microsoft has collaborated with Meta to release a branded headset: The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition.
Announced yesterday, the company shared details about the bundle via Xbox Wire. The limited edition package is available for $399.99 USD and includes the 128GB version of the headset, a Meta Quest Elite Strap, an Xbox controller, and three months of Meta Horizon+ and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
According to the company, the selling point is the Xbox Cloud Gaming app, which started its beta on December 13, 2023. The app allows you to stream any compatible Xbox game, either from Game Pass or your own library, directly to the headset.
The headset is available via the Meta store, as well as Best Buy in the US, and both Argos and EE in the UK, all in "extremely" limited quantities.
"With cloud gaming and the launch of the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition bundle, there have never been more ways to play with Xbox," reads the Xbox Wire post. "Whether you prefer to jump into action on a console, stream to your TV or phone, or immerse yourself in the world of VR, Xbox has you covered across more devices than ever before."
At the beginning of the month, Microsoft announced two Xbox branded handhelds that have been developed in collaboration with Asus, taking the form of the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X.
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Unlike the Meta collaboration, the existing ROG Ally models feature some external and internal tweaks that go beyond just matching Xbox's color palette. This includes a dedicated Xbox button that will grant access to chat, apps, and settings through a Game Bar overlay, a modified version of Windows 11, and more.
More layoffs at Xbox on the horizon
The news of the collaboration with Meta came on the same day that Bloomberg reported that managers within Xbox are expecting "substantial cuts" to be made across Xbox. The company-wide reorganization will reportedly take place next week.The company has done three waves of layoffs in the past year, affecting 1,900 people in January 2024, 650 in September, and an unspecified number in January 2025. It also shuttered internal studios, which included Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games, and Tango Gameworks. The latter was acquired by Krafton later in the year.
As for Meta, the company reportedly laid off over 100 employees across its Reality Labs division back in April of this year. During an earnings call at the end of the last quarter, investors asked the company if there is "light at the end of the tunnel" for the division after it reported $4.2 billion in operating losses during the first quarter of the fiscal year, totaling $17.7 billion during the 2024 fiscal year. Revenue was also on the decline due to lower sales of Meta Quest hardware.
