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Meta Quest 2 VR headsets will cost $100 more starting next monthThe future is expensive
The future is expensive
“We’ve been all-in on VR since the early days of PC and mobile, all the way through to today’s premium standalone 6DOF headsets—and we’ve invested billions of dollars to help nurture a thriving VR ecosystem,” starts the post on theOculus blog. “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.”
Release Trailer | Beat SaberWatch on YouTube
Release Trailer | Beat Saber
From August, the Meta Quest 2 will cost $399.99 USD for the 128 GB version and $499.99 USD for the 256GB version. There’s no mention in the post of regional pricing, but it seems safe to assume that prices will increase similarly in other territories. The two versions of the Meta Quest 2currently cost £299 and £399in the UK.
The post also notes that Meta Quest 2 accessories and refurbished units will also be increasing in price. For a limited time, purchasers of the Quest 2 will getBeat Saberincluded for free as some sort of compensation - which is, at least, thebest VR game.
The Meta Quest (formerly Oculus Quest) headsets were priced to encourage adoption in the nascent VR market, and it’s likely that Meta (formerly Facebook) have been selling them at a substantial loss. Increasing the price seems more likely to slow sales than ‘drive the VR industry forward’, but I imagine Meta’s collapsing stock price in 2022 plays a role in the decision. It’s also worth noting that Meta have a second quarter earnings call scheduled for tomorrow (July 27th), Meta employeesexpect heavy layoffs(paywalled), and Meta arein the New York Times todaytrying to make their metaverse pitch sound exciting and not stumbling and unwanted. The NYT article notes that Meta’s hardware unit “lost nearly $3 billion in the first quarter” of 2022 alone.
For what it’s worth, theOculus Quest 2 is a good headset, and being able to play in VR without wiring up to a PC is a huge boon. Earlier this month, Meta announced that they wouldno longer require a Facebook account to use the Quest, which is a bonus.
If you’re willing to pay the increased price, however, you might want to consider the Valve Index headset, which remains more expensive at £459 but which isthe gold standard of VR headsets. At least until we get a look at Meta’s Project Cambria, their high-end headset which, this price change announcement notes, is due to launch later this year.
