Technologies

I Wish Meta and Microsoft’s New Quest 3S Xbox Edition Was More Than Just a New Color

The limited edition Quest headset is basically a black Quest with an Xbox controller and a fancy head strap. Will Microsoft be planning more with this Xbox-to-VR overlap beyond GamePass?

I have major throwback memories to 2016 as I open up the limited-edition Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition. This new VR bundle includes a black Quest 3S VR headset with Xbox green highlights, similarly colored Touch controllers and an Xbox controller, too. The original Oculus Rift headset I reviewed years ago also came with an Xbox controller inside, because back then Oculus didn’t even have its VR Touch controllers yet. It was also black, not white like the current Quest headsets. It’s funny how things come full circle.

This Xbox-branded Quest was announced over a year ago, but it took till now to show up. It is far from anything like PlayStation VR 2. Really, it’s just a Quest 3S in black with a few extra accessories thrown in.

For $400, the deal isn’t bad considering the included Meta Elite Strap and Xbox controllers run more than $100 total when bought separately. There’s a three-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate trial code inside, too. But it’s hardly anything anyone would need, and it’s a little odd that the special bundle incorporates the lower-end 128GB capacity 3S instead of the better-visual-quality, larger-storage Quest 3.

The Quest headsets can stream Xbox GamePass games via cloud gaming in a Quest app, throwing 2D games on a bigger virtual screen in headset. That’s something you can already do on Quest headsets now; you don’t need this Xbox Quest for that. This is simply a limited-edition design drop, a little collector’s item.

But it also makes me wonder when (and if) Microsoft will start dipping its toes into VR and AR a bit more. Microsoft used to have its own VR hardware, and the HoloLens, and aspirations to be a key part of the XR landscape. (Also: Minecraft VR, RIP.) Times are different now, and this Xbox Quest is really just another flavor of Microsoft’s «This is an Xbox» marketing campaign that’s been pushing cloud gaming on tablets, TVs and everywhere else.

And yet, Microsoft is also extending some of its gaming interests. An Xbox-branded Asus Xbox ROG Ally handheld coming later this year is expected to finesse the ways Xbox games play on Windows handhelds, a stepping stone toward Microsoft figuring out how to evolve better hardware of its own eventually, perhaps. Maybe this Xbox Quest experiment is another toe in the water to gauge interest in other things, too.

For now, it’s just a fun way to get a black Quest 3S. But it’s also weird because the Quest 3S is not the best-quality Quest headset for visual fidelity. The Quest 3 has a better-resolution display and better lenses. And this is just the 128GB version of the Quest 3S, not the 256GB model. Xbox cloud streaming may not need more storage, but plenty of beefy Quest game downloads do. An Xbox Quest 3 would have made more sense to me, but it would have cost more than $400.

My suggestion? I think Meta should bring back the black VR headset color option to all of its headsets, because it looks really good.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 12, #566

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for April 12 No. 566.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. Remember, sometimes surnames are also words that have meanings, and vice-versa. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Put ’em together for…

Green group hint: College towns.

Blue group hint: Fire it in there!

Purple group hint: Not leg.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Expression of approval.

Green group: SEC cities.

Blue group: Hall of Fame pitchers.

Purple group: ____ arm.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is expression of approval. The four answers are applause, clapping, hand and ovation.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is SEC cities. The four answers are Auburn, Austin, College Station and Oxford.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Hall of Fame pitchers. The four answers are Feller, Fingers, Grove and Plank.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ arm. The four answers are dead, fore, side and stiff.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, April 12

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 12.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I found 4-Across to be a stumper for a little while, and I even grew up on a farm! Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: First-aid case
Answer: KIT

4A clue: Rooster giving directions on a farm, maybe
Answer: VANE

5A clue: Showing little enthusiasm
Answer: TEPID

6A clue: Borough said to be the birthplace of hip-hop
Answer: BRONX

7A clue: Bird of prey
Answer: HAWK

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: «Bam!»
Answer: KAPOW

2D clue: Bold way to solve a print crossword
Answer: ININK

3D clue: Spinoff of a popular lecture series
Answer: TEDX

4D clue: Aloe ___
Answer: VERA

5D clue: «Frankly …,» in a text
Answer: TBH

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for April 12, #1758

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for April 12, No. 1,758.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a tough one, with a double letter that could throw you off. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.