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You’re running out of time to get Meta’s best virtual reality headset for a lower price. Almost two years after its release, Meta (formerly Oculus) has announced the Quest 2 is getting a price hike from $299.99 to $399.99. New customers will get one of the best VR games free with their Quest 2, but that hardly makes up for such a substantial increase at this late stage.
The Oculus blog (yes, that’s still what it’s called) says that the cost of manufacturing the Meta Quest 2 has increased, but that’s no surprise considering high inflation around the globe. As a result, the company is boosting the price by $100 starting on August 1st. That means the base model headset with 128GB of storage will rise to $400, and the step up with 256GB of storage will go to $500. Meta also notes that pricing for accessories and refurbished units will be increasing.
In way of compensation, Meta will include a free copy of Beat Saber with every headset. This rhythm-based title is one of the most popular on the Quest, and it also happens to be a great way to demo the features of the Quest 2. Beat Saber only costs $30, and it doesn’t include a ton of songs. You can, of course, buy all the songs you want in the game. The song packs aren’t cheap, either.
This price hike doesn’t bode well for Facebook’s upcoming high-end Project Cambria headset. This device is expected to be much more compact and comfortable thanks to its use of pancake lenses, and it’ll have full-color video passthrough. Leaks earlier this year pointed to an $800 price tag, but UploadVR confirmed with Meta that the price would be “significantly” higher. More recent reports have suggested the premium headset could cost as much as $1,500. It’s unclear if that’s what we can expect before inflation adjustments, but in either case, Meta’s first real metaverse play is not going to be cheap.
Unlike the early days of the pandemic, you can actually buy a Quest 2 for retail price direct from Meta. So, you still have time if you want to order a unit at the lower price. It’s disappointing to see Meta increase the price of a device after it’s already been on the market so long, but we can all appreciate the warning.
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