Rising manufacturing costs are causing Meta to increase the price for the Quest 2 headset by $100.
The price increases will start arriving next month. The Meta Quest 2 will then cost $399 for the 128GB model and $499 for the 256GB version. In addition, the company plans on raising the pricing for Quest 2 accessories and refurbished Quest 2 headsets.
The good news is that consumers can buy the Meta Quest 2 at the original $299/$399 pricing before the month is out. You can use the links below if you’re interested:
- AmazonAmazon
- Best BuyBest Buy
- WalmartWalmart
- Facebook StoreFacebook Store
Meta —formerly known as Facebook— says the price increases are necessary to keep the headset business sustainable. “The costs to make and ship our products have been on the rise. By adjusting the price of Quest 2, we can continue to grow our investment in groundbreaking research and new product development that pushes the VR industry to new heights,” the company wrote in a blog post on Tuesday.
The new products will include Project Cambria, a high-end VR headset for professional users that’s arriving later this year, and next generation Quest headsets. The company also points out, “even with these pricing changes, Meta Quest 2 continues to be the most affordable VR headset with a comparable feature set on the market.” In contrast, VR headsets from Valve and HTC can start at $1,000 or more.
The price increase also occurs when there’s been speculation for years that Meta has been selling Quest headsets at a financial loss. Research firm IDC even warned this month: “Meta continues to pour dollars into developing the metaverse but the strategy of promoting low-cost hardware at the expense of profitability isn't sustainable in the long run.”
If you do purchase a Quest 2 in August at the increased price, there is a consolation: Meta will give you access to download a free copy of the $29.99 game Beat Saber at no additional cost. But the deal only lasts until Dec. 31.