The Meta Quest 2 is getting a price rise, meaning that as of August, the stand-alone VR headset will cost you $100 more.
We’d like to imagine that we’re viewing Meta’s tweet through a gin-soaked haze and that a few hours from now, we’ll apologetically update this article, revealing that it’s actually a $100 price drop. But, no, there’s no mistake here, Meta is going to start charging $100 more for both the 128GB and 256GB versions of the Meta Quest 2 headset.
The explanation from Meta – formerly Oculus – is as follows: “In order to continue investing in moving the VR industry forward for the long term, we are adjusting the price of Meta Quest 2 headsets.”
That might seem ridiculous, given that Meta – formerly Facebook – made nearly $90 billion in 2020, the same year they launched the Meta Quest 2, and $120 billion in 2021. But, in the same way that Microsoft’s Xbox division doesn’t have access to all of Microsoft’s funds, Meta’s VR division likely has its own finances.
On top of that, Meta actually lost $10 billion on VR last year. The company has not disclosed how much it costs to make the Quest 2 but it’s been speculated that the profit margin on the headset is relatively low. So, short of shuttering the division, Meta’s only real option is to charge more.
In order to continue investing in moving the VR industry forward for the long term, we are adjusting the price of Meta Quest 2 headsets to $399.99 (128GB) and $499.99 (256GB) starting on 8/1/22.
— Meta Quest (@MetaQuestVR) July 26, 2022
The new pricing also matches the original Quest launch price, $399 and $499 for the 64GB and 128GB versions respectively. The Quest 2 was $100 cheaper at launch so it’s almost as if Meta are reversing that reduction.
The end result is that, as of August 1st, the headset, which comes with two controllers, will cost $399.99 (128GB) and $499.99 (256GB). And, while it’s not been confirmed by Meta, we’d also expect the UK price to rise from £299.99 (128GB) and £399.99 (256GB) to £399.99 and £499.99
Meta are attempting to soften the blow by giving away the excellent Beat Saber (seen below) to anyone who, during a limited period, buys a new Quest 2. That said, the same page that details the offer also confirms that Meta will be raising the price of their accessories.
The Meta Quest 2 is still a fantastic headset, whether you’re using it stand-alone without wires, or hooking it up to your PC for use with PC VR apps. You’ve got a few days to snap up a headset before the price increase kicks in but, right now, we’d recommend the Meta Quest 2, even at that higher price. You can read our review to find out why.
For now, Meta’s move makes sense given their losses, alongside the fact that Mark Zuckerberg is still fixated on his wonky-looking Metaverse. However.. Quest 2’s fortunes could change even further. The PlayStation VR2 is on the way, and while we know it won’t be wireless, it could still give the Meta Quest 2 a run for its money, particularly if it shares the Quest 2’s price point.
So it remains to be seen whether we’ll still be recommending the Quest 2 when we’ve had our hands on Sony’s own PlayStation 5-powered VR headset. PSVR2 doesn’t have a release date as yet but we suspect Meta is more than a little worried.
