Meta is initiating price cuts on its VR headsets. Starting March 5, the premium Quest Pro will retail for $1000, up from its previous price of $1,500. The rather significant price drop was announced by Mark Zuckerberg himself on an Instagram channel. He says the move is meant to help “more people get into virtual reality.”
The top-end 256GB Meta Quest 2 is also getting cheaper and will retail for $429 instead of its previous price of $500. All the while, the base 128GB Quest 2 will keep its $400 price point. which means that a double storage upgrade will only cost you $30. That’s a “price on popcorn” strategy in action right there.
It’s worth pointing out that this 256GB Quest 2 price reduction, while welcome, is still not enough to hit the Quest 2’s original price point. You may recall that last year Meta actually raised the prices for the Quest 2. The 128GB one went from $300 to $400, while the 256GB one went from $400 to $500. Back then, Meta explained the unusual price hikes with higher manufacturing and shipping costs. He also promised that the extra revenue would be used to boost investment in VR research and development.
While we can’t say whether that promise has been delivered, we do know that Meta is pouring a whopping 20% of its total 2023 spend into the Reality Labs division. There is no doubt that Zuckerberg is investing heavily in virtual reality. In fact, if rumors are to be believed, a next-generation Quest headset should be out later this year. That may be one reason why Meta is looking to move some existing inventory of its latest generation products ahead of launch.
Regardless, if you want to get into VR on a budget with the excellent and hugely popular Quest 2, or spend a few extra bucks on a Quest Pro, now seems like a good time to do so.
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