Meta increases the price of Quest 2
Meta significantly increases the price of its Meta Quest 2 VR headset. The company cites constant investments in the ecosystem and increased production costs as reasons.
Price increases are really nothing special this year. For VR headsets, however, Meta's announcement today is likely to cause some surprise: The company is increasing the price of the Meta Quest 2 to $399.99 (128 gigabytes of storage) and $499.99 (256 gigabytes of storage) starting in August.
Until now, the models were available for a hundred dollars less each - and that has been the case for about one and a half years.
Both versions now include the most successful VR game Beat Saber from Meta's studio Beat Games. The software bundle at the new price is valid from August 1 to December 31, 2022.
Meta Quest 2 will be more expensive starting August
For now, it's unclear how the increase will affect European prices, which have been slightly higher from the start. In France, for example, the Quest 2 is currently still available at the old regular price of 349 or 449 euros. If you want to be on the safe side, you should buy it at the old price before August.
Meta does not officially sell the devices in Germany. However, the Facebook requirement for the Quest 2 is dropped in August, which makes a release here more likely.
The price increase also extends to accessories and refurbished Quest 2 devices in the U.S. The latter will cost $349 (128 GB) and $429 (256 GB), respectively.
"We’ve invested billions of dollars to help nurture a thriving VR ecosystem," Meta said of the price increase. The company cites increased prices in manufacturing and shipping. Even after the price adjustment, the Quest 2 remains the most affordable VR headset in its device class, it said.
"Now, we’re making a change that will help us continue to invest for the long term and keep driving the VR industry forward with best-in-class hardware, action-packed games, and cutting-edge research on the path to truly next-gen devices."
Quest 2 probably still does not make money
According to a source from Verge reporter Alex Heath, Meta makes no money on headsets sold. This fits Meta's previous strategy of tapping into the VR market as quickly as possible with an unrivaled low price and a strong all-around package like the Quest 2.
Buyers of Meta's future premium headset codenamed Cambria, which could be called Quest Pro when it is released in the fall, will have to dig deeper into their pockets. According to Meta, it will cost much more than $800. Speculations range up to 1500 US dollars.
FCC documents show that Meta will get more competition in the near future: Pico may soon launch two Quest competitors, the Pico 4 and the Pico 4 Pro.
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