Meta's reducing prices on its VR headsets again. The news comes less than a year after Meta (formerly Facebook) increased the price of the Meta Quest 2 VR headset (formerly, and sometimes still, the Oculus Quest 2).
The changes, announced by CEO Mark Zuckerberg this morning, go into effect March 5. The entry-level Quest 2 with 128GB of storage is still $400, but the model with 256GB storage is now down to $430, making it a $30 step-up for double the app space vs. $100 more previously. International prices were not immediately available but $430 is roughly £360 or AU$640.
Meta stock gains over 4% in morning trading.
The Meta Quest Pro, which started at $1,500 (AU$2,550, £1,500) last October and is nearing its half-year anniversary, got a temporary price drop to $1,100 earlier this year. It's now down to $1,000.
Also, the 128GB storage on the base Quest 2 is probably more than enough for most people (although, at $430, I'd be more tempted by the 256GB upgrade).
The Meta Quest Pro, aimed at work instead of gaming, has a better display, color passthrough cameras, and eye and face tracking cameras. But it's still not significantly better enough to merit an extra $600 over the Quest 2, and Meta's clearly had difficulty selling them.
Plus, there are likely to be other VR headset contenders arriving throughout 2023.
According to Meta's press release, "Pricing changes will go into effect for the 256GB Meta Quest 2 SKU on March 5 in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UK and the US. The Meta Quest Pro price drop will take effect March 5 in the US and Canada and March 15 in all other countries where Meta Quest Pro is supported."