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Meta Quest 2 Headset Gets a Permanent Price Cut To $199

The new price for the virtual reality headset applies to the 128GB Meta Quest 2 model, which ballooned to a $399 price back in 2022.

 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

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One of the best VR headsets on the market, the Meta Quest 2, is getting a major price cut, dropping to only $199 for the 128GB model. 

“Meta Quest 2 is the most affordable way to tap into everything VR has to offer—and we’re doubling down by making our recent price drop permanent,” Meta announced on Thursday. 

The company is slashing the price when the Quest 2 128GB model originally launched in 2021 for $299. Meta then temporarily increased the price to $399 back in 2022, citing rising manufacturing costs. 

But a year ago, the company brought back the price down to $299, before further decreasing it to $199. Meta didn’t explain why, but we suspect the company has found ways to streamline the VR headset’s manufacturing, allowing it to cut costs. In addition, company CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been talking up the Quest line as a more affordable alternative to the Apple Vision Pro, which starts at $3,499.

That said, the Meta Quest 2 is a bit old, considering it launched in Oct. 2020. Still, it looks like Meta wants to keep the product alive as an entry-level headset. “And at this lower price point, it’s never been easier to get into VR,” the company added in the announcement. 

The company is selling the $199 model on Meta.com when the $299 256GB model is out of stock. For a more powerful VR headset, the company last year launched the Meta Quest 3, which starts at $499 and offers a higher picture quality, along with a faster processor.   

The $199 Meta Quest 2 model can also be bought at Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy. Along with the price cut, the company has lowered the costs for several Meta Quest 2 accessories, including the carrying case, and additional straps.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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