All you need to know about MR headsets

Christmas is imminent, and the ink is drying on those final gift lists. Not just the ones outlining what you plan to give – so many socks! – but also your own wish list with details of what you’d love to receive. Sure, the tartan PJs (standard) and the underwear (bit weird when you think about it) will take care of themselves, but what would you really like to see nestled under the tree? 

Mixed reality (MR) headsets are topping many people’s lists this year. Once reserved for the same space-age world as jetpacks and hoverboards, these ultra-cool wearables are now letting us live out the sci-fi future of our dreams. And the even better news? Today’s headsets have never been better. 

But no matter how high you are on Santa’s good list, you’ve probably got room for just one big pressie. So, we’re here to help you with our guide to MR headsets. And that’s not all. Because it’s Christmas, we’re giving away two Meta Quest 3S Mixed Reality wireless headsets worth £289.99 each to readers of The Drop. Scroll down for your chance to win. 

Now, who do we speak to about those jetpacks? 

Go on, slip a MR headset over your eyes. You’re now viewing a screen through which you can explore the “worlds” of games, films and other 3D digital environments, in much the same way as you’d interact with your real physical surroundings, either in full immersion or by blending your physical and virtual worlds together to transform your home into so much more. 

MR headsets contain motion sensors, allowing you to experience changing viewpoints as you move your head. Many headsets come with built-in speakers for highly realistic 3D audio and eye-tracking tech, so you can move your gaze just like you do in real life. They’re a seriously exciting investment if you want to take your immersion in entertainment to the next level. 

Blending digital games, workouts and entertainment into your physical space, the Meta Quest 3S lets you experience everything you love in a whole new way. Meet up with pals and feel like you’re together when you squad up for battle or go to a virtual comedy show. Or watch movies on your own giant screen with adjustable room darkening. 

Quest 3S is wireless and lightweight, so you can move with total freedom. Its mixed reality feature is also super-cool, letting you play games, work or watch YouTube while you move around with wireless freedom. 

Meanwhile, the Meta Quest 3 is the most powerful wireless Quest yet, letting you play immersive and mixed reality games that defy expectations with lightning-fast load times and incredibly crisp detail thanks to graphics processing that’s twice as powerful as that in Quest 2. Its 4K+ Infinite Display resolution delivers visuals so real you’ll want to reach out and touch them. 

The Meta Quest 3S is available as 128GB and 256GB headsets, while the more powerful Meta Quest 3 is available as a 512GB headset. 

With the Meta Quest family of MR headsets, you can play your favourite titles in your favourite ways. Whether you stream on a 2D mixed reality screen or dive into fully immersive virtual reality games, you’re going to have a blast as you discover brand new titles across gaming, fitness, entertainment, social and more. 

The array of games available now is staggering, from shooters to looters and everything you can imagine. You can also subscribe to Meta Quest+, which comes with a revolving catalogue of games that you can play instantly, plus two curated titles every month. So you’ll never be far from a new experience or world. 

The latest hot title is Batman: Arkham Shadow, where you can become The Knight in this groundbreaking entry in the acclaimed Arkham series. Immerse yourself in all the grit of Gotham City and take down its most notorious criminals with hard-hitting combat. Can you stop the mysterious Rat King and his cultish devotees? 

For a limited time, you can also get Batman: Arkham Shadow at no extra cost when you buy Meta Quest 3S, plus get a three-month trial of Meta Quest+. 

MR headsets aren’t just for gaming. With Quest headsets, you can enjoy popular social apps, connect with friends from anywhere, host a meeting with coworkers and more. 

Watch shows, teams and streams in your own immersive cinema and turn the world into a giant screen – or three. Kick back in an immersive screening room with staggering graphics or meet up with friends for a virtual watch party wherever they are. You can also reimagine multitasking by streaming creators, responding to chats and keeping up with reels while finishing your to-do list, all without losing sight of what’s in front of you. 

Into fitness? Invite a personal trainer into your living room or travel to stunning locations for unreal workouts, with a completely wireless experience. You can also challenge your friends or set personal records with FitXR and more, or refresh your self-care with uplifting games and guided meditations as you destress in surreal spaces. 

Meta Horizon also gives you the ability to stream live concerts, comedy shows and more from anywhere in the world and enjoy along with your friends. Apps like YouTube VR and Prime Video VR will also immerse you in your favourite content like never before. 

There are also parental protections so you can feel safe to share the fun, while safety measures allow you to play, sweat and move safely with built-in features that protect you in the virtual and physical world.  

In a nutshell? You can do a lot with a MR headset. 

We’ve teamed up with Meta to give away two Meta Quest 3S 128GB wireless mixed reality headsets in white exclusively to O2 customers. For your chance to win one of these headsets, just answer the following question: 

Which of these is a real game you can play on Meta Quest 3S?

A) Batman: Arkham Fear

B) Batman: Arkham Mist

C) Batman: Arkham Shadow

Email your answer – A, B or C – to: TheDrop@virginmediao2.co.uk  with The Drop Meta Quest 3S Prize Draw in the subject line by 11.59pm on Monday 30 December 2024. Please include your answer to the question, your first name and last name, phone number and address. See full terms and conditions below. Good luck. 

^{O2 The Drop Meta Giveaway Prize Draw Terms and Conditions (Promotion)} 

^{1.Telefonica UK Limited (“we”, “us”, and “our” or similar) (Company Number: 1743099) with a registered office 500 Brook Drive, Reading, United Kingdom, RG2 6UU is the promoter of the Promotion. General Terms and Conditions apply (please click the link in this paragraph for more information) (together, the “Conditions”). In the event of a conflict between the General Terms and Conditions and this Promotion, the terms of this Promotion will prevail.} 

^{2.By entering the Promotion, you (the “Entrant”, “you”, and “your” or similar) confirm that you have read the Conditions and agree to be bound by them and confirm that all information submitted is true, accurate, and complete. Please ensure you read these carefully as entry into this Promotion is subject to and conditional upon acceptance to these Conditions. We reserve the right to verify the eligibility of any and all Entrants and may, in our sole discretion, disqualify any Entrant that fails to satisfy the eligibility requirements. Entrants shall at all times act in good faith towards us and the Promotion.} 

^{3.The Promotion is only open to O2 customers aged 18 or over resident in the United Kingdom, but shall not be open to employees of Telefonica UK Limited and/or Virgin Media Limited, their immediate family members and anyone professionally connected with this Promotion. Entries on behalf of someone else will not be accepted. Maximum of 1 entry per O2 customer.} 

^{4.Entries not submitted in accordance with the rules of these Conditions will be disqualified. We reserve the right to disqualify any Entrant reasonably suspected by us of cheating, behaving fraudulently, acting dishonestly, or otherwise acting contrary to these Conditions.} 

^{5.The Promotion closes at 11.59pm on Monday 30 December 2024 (“Closing Date”). Entries received after the closing date will be invalid.} 

^{6.To enter the Promotion you must answer the question listed in The Drop correctly by sending an email to TheDrop@virginmediao2.co.uk and ensure it contains the following details:} 

^{a. Your answer (which must be correct) 
b. Your first and last name 
c. Phone number 
d. Full address, including county and postcode} 

^{7.There are 2 Prizes and 2 winners in total: 
2 winners will each get one Meta Quest 3S 128GB in white (the “Prizes”).} 

^{8.The details of the winners will be shared with Meta Platforms Technologies UK Ltd for the purposes of delivering your Prize. Details will be shared securely and deleted immediately after the Prize has been issued.} 

^{9.The winners will be selected at random by an independent process from all valid entries received and will be notified by no later than Thursday 9 January 2025. You will be notified if you have won a Prize by phone or email and must claim your Prize within 4 working days after having been notified. If you do not respond or we do not receive a response within 4 working days of being notified you will forfeit your Prize, and we reserve the right, at our discretion, to choose another winner or to dispose of the Prize as we see fit. Our decision regarding any aspect of the Promotion, including without limitation correspondence regarding the Prize, is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into about it.} 

^{10. We reserve the right to cancel and/or amend these terms and conditions and/or the Promotion at any stage but we will only do so for reasons outside of our reasonable control. We will endeavour to minimize the effect of such cancellation or amendment on participants in order to avoid disappointment, which may include providing an alternative Prize if the original Prize becomes unavailable for any reason.} 

^{11. We will only use your data in line with applicable data protection legislation (including but not limited to General Data Protection Regulations) and subject to our Privacy Policy. We will not pass on your personal information to third parties except in accordance with these terms and conditions or where we are required to disclose that information in order to comply with any legal or regulatory requirements.} 

^{12.We accept no responsibility for entries not successfully completed due to a technical fault including without limitation a technical malfunction, computer hardware or software failure, satellite, network or server failure of any kind. If the Promotion is not capable of running as planned or entries are not received or validly submitted or the Prize (as defined below) becomes unavailable, we reserve the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Prize Draw if necessary.} 

^{13.We and our agents shall not be responsible or liable to compensate the winners for any loss, damage or consequential damage of any nature in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise caused by acceptance of these terms and conditions and/or in connection with the Prize (to the extent permissible by law).} 

^{14.These Conditions and any disputes or issues arising out of or in connection with them (whether contractual or non-contractual in nature, such as claims in tort, breach of statute/regulation or otherwise) shall be governed by and construed exclusively in accordance with English law. You agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts to settle any disputes or issues.} 

^{15.Promoter: Telefonica UK Limited whose registered office is at 500 Brook Drive, Reading, United Kingdom, RG2 6UU.} 

 ^{Batman: Arkham Shadow is rated Teen with violence, mild blood and language. Offer valid with the purchase of a new Meta Quest 3 device (128 GB), Meta Quest 3 device (512 GB), Meta Quest 3S device (128 GB) and/or Meta Quest 3S device (256 GB) (“Qualifying Product”) purchased on or after September 25, 2024 through April 30, 2025 (X pm PST). Meta account (“Account”) required. Offer Item (digital content): Batman: Arkham Shadow available in the Meta Quest Store beginning in October 2024. To receive Offer Item, Qualifying Product must be first activated between September 25, 2024 - April 30, 2025 (5:00 pm PST) through an Account without Batman: Arkham Shadow previously entitled on such Account (“Activation”). Upon Activation and Batman: Arkham Shadow launch, you will receive a notification message via email, in your mobile app, and in VR with a link to redeem the Offer Item from the Meta Quest Store.  There are no redemption codes in connection with this Offer. Offer Item must be redeemed by April 30, 2025 (5:00 pm PST). Once redeemed, Offer Item remains available for download indefinitely. Limit one (1) Offer Item per Qualifying Product, regardless of the number of Accounts connected to such Qualifying Product. Not valid on prior orders or purchases. Offer is non-transferable, not for resale, and not valid for cash or cash equivalent. Offer may be canceled or modified at any time without notice. Void where prohibited or restricted. Additional hardware and software sold separately.} 

^{[See child safety guidance online at meta.com/quest/parent-info; Accounts for 10+. ] Valid with the purchase of a new Meta Quest 3 (128 GB or 512GB) or Meta Quest 3S (128GB or 256GB) (“Qualifying Product”). Meta Quest 3 Offer valid September 25, 2024 (12:00 am PT) – September 30, 2025 (11:59 pm PT). Meta Quest 3S Offer valid October 15, 2024 (12: 00 am PT) – September 30, 2025 (11:59 pm PT).  Cancel before third month ends or subscription auto-renews at the then-current monthly or annual retail price (plus tax).  Third month calculated from the date of Offer redemption. Cancel anytime.  Valid payment method required. New subscribers only.  Must be 13+ to subscribe. *14+ to subscribe in Quebec.  Meta account registration required. Must activate Qualifying Product and redeem Offer within ninety (90) days of purchase or by September 30, 2025 (11:59 pm PT), whichever comes first, to receive Offer.  Certain content available to paying Meta Quest+ subscribers may be excluded from trial offer. Additional hardware and software sold separately.  Offer is non-transferrable and not valid for cash or cash equivalent. Offer may be canceled or modified at any time without notice. Void where prohibited.  See subscription terms: https://www.meta.com/legal/quest/meta-quest-plus-terms.}