Meta Quest 2, the most popular VR headset, gets a $100 price hike due to rising manufacturing...

[Humza]

What just happened? If you've been saving some money for a Meta Quest 2 headset to experience VR, now is the right time to make that purchase since the hardware is about to get noticeably pricier over the next few days. Starting in August, the base 128GB Quest 2 will officially be sold for $399.99, while the 256GB model will cost $499.99. The reason for this $100 price hike, according to Meta, is rising manufacturing and shipment costs.

For Meta VR users, August seems like a good month in terms of software but a bad one when it comes to hardware. The platform is finally putting in place a new account system that drops the requirement of a Facebook account for signing in, a restriction that arguably kept many aspiring VR users from jumping on board.

However, the next month is also when the most affordable VR headset, the Meta Quest 2, is getting considerably more expensive. While impulsive buyers can get the hardware at its current $299 starting price till the end of July, getting one in August will require paying $100 more. At its newer price, VR users aren't getting more for their money, like a slightly more powerful Quest 2 variant or an Oculus Link cable in the box.

However, Meta is trying to soften the blow on new purchases with a limited-time offer on Beat Saber. The popular VR title will be available as a free download (for up to 2 weeks) for new Quest 2 buyers as long as they activate their headset before January 31, 2023.

The price hike, as Meta notes, is due to the rising costs of making and shipping the hardware, and allows the company to pour more resources into VR development and research at a time when job cuts are on the horizon. With over $1 billion spent by consumers on Quest apps, Meta is confident about VR's momentum and shared a lineup of upcoming games for the platform, including Ghostbusters VR, Among Us VR and NFL Pro Era, among other titles.

Moreover, Meta also revealed that Project Cambria, the company's high-end headset, will be launching later this year. Following its release, VR users can expect newer Quest models added to the - now more expensive, but still most affordable - standalone headset lineup.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/95437-meta-quest-2-most-popular-vr-headset-gets.html

 

[George Keech]

And here's me thinking inflation was at 10% turns out its closer to 33%........Oh no wait there is the additional amount Meta need to invest in stealing your soul - not cheap

 

[kiwigraeme]

And here's me thinking inflation was at 10% turns out its closer to 33%........Oh no wait there is the additional amount Meta need to invest in stealing your soul - not cheap

think they have lost a couple of billion on these to promote the Meta universe - so probably to reduce loss on sale
I'm waiting for their next version - as think VR still away to go - best options at moment are expensive for casual use

 

[Puiu]

think they have lost a couple of billion on these to promote the Meta universe - so probably to reduce loss on sale
I'm waiting for their next version - as think VR still away to go - best options at moment are expensive for casual use

I agree, they invested too much into the "metaverse" without anything to show.

 

[George Keech]

think they have lost a couple of billion on these to promote the Meta universe - so probably to reduce loss on sale
I'm waiting for their next version - as think VR still away to go - best options at moment are expensive for casual use

Your probably right - I think the biggest issue with VR is the main thing companies are pushing are the things that dont really work as well.

I still say that the real world usefulness for things like this are fitness and education/ something that can help people less able explore and see things they couldn't normally. - I even thing more than half of VR games dont work that well with it.

instead they want people to sit around a pretend table with fake characters playing poker or some crap with a sweaty headset on. you can do that with a PC normally.

 

[Bl00dyMinded]

Still wont buy it.

 

[passwordistaco]

Awfully coincidental that the price hike hits the same day the Facebook account requirement goes away.

But it will still require a Meta account.

 

[Radagon Prime]

We have been buying it for Ksh 45,500 in Kenya around $382.

 

[toooooot]

What I want to know is if Steam's 1k VR is much better than Oculus priced half cheaper.

 

[BigRedPDX]

What I want to know is if Steam's 1k VR is much better than Oculus priced half cheaper.

I'm curious about that too. I was looking at both of these for my girlfriend, whom I've managed to get addicted to beat saber. I got myself addicted to creating maps for it, so it's only fair. I think for that game, the quest 2 is just fine, but she also started looking at HL: Alyx and was enjoying those videos. I imagine the Valve headset has better resolution and response time over the Oculus.

 

[Impudicus]

I was just about to buy one in the coming weeks, so much for that idea.