Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is dropping prices on some of its VR headsets to make the technology more accessible. The move comes as the company plans to invest heavily in VR research and development.
Starting March 5, the premium Quest Pro will retail for $1000, down from its previous price of $1,500. The 256GB Meta Quest 2 will also see a price drop to $429 from $500, while the base 128GB Quest 2 will retain its price tag of $400. This means that customers can double their storage for just $30 more.
While the 256GB Quest 2 price reduction is a welcome development, it still falls short of the original Quest 2 pricing. Last year, Meta raised prices for the Quest 2, citing higher manufacturing and shipping costs. However, the company promised to use the extra revenue to invest in VR research and development.
With Meta pouring 20% of its total spending in 2023 into the Reality Labs division, it’s clear that the company is serious about VR. There are also rumors that a new generation Quest headset will be released later this year, which could be why Meta is trying to move existing stock of its current-gen products ahead of the launch.
The price cuts are significant and are meant to help “more people get into VR”, according to Mark Zuckerberg, who announced the move himself on an Instagram channel. It’s a strategic move that could help increase adoption of the technology, which has struggled to gain mainstream acceptance due to high costs.
Whether you’re looking to try VR for the first time or upgrade your existing headset, now is a good time to do so. With Meta making VR more affordable and investing heavily in research and development, the technology is poised to become more accessible and immersive than ever before.
