Meta Quest 2 gets expensive 2 years after launch without a hardware upgrade

Meta Quest 2, the most affordable standalone virtual reality headset, will get expensive in the near future. It was announced and released in 2020 with a starting price of $299 USD, in a 64 GB version that is currently no longer on sale. The 128 GB model that replaced the base variant also came in at $299, but Meta is now announcing that a significant price increase is coming, despite the headset remaining the same as before. It will start at a price of $399 starting in August.

Meta Quest 2 VR headset will be $100 more expensive

Mark Zuckerberg and all Meta Quest brand social media accounts have announced the increase in price, which will take effect August 1. The reasons for the increase are most likely inflation, but also other factors such as shipping costs, which have increased significantly over the past two years:

“To continue to invest in pushing the VR industry forward for the long term, we are adjusting the price of Meta Quest 2 devices to $399.99 for 128GB and $499.99 for 256GB effective August 1, 2022. An offer to download Beat Saber, one of Quest’s most popular apps, at no additional cost will come with each headset for a limited time, ending December 31, 2022.”, was the official announcement published by Meta.

An offer to download Beat Saber, one of the most popular Quest apps, at no additional cost will come with every new headset purchase for a limited time. Ends 12/31/22. Terms apply: https://t.co/apFFTgmJSB

– Meta Quest (@MetaQuestVR) July 26, 2022

In general, electronic devices decrease in price over time, not increase. The Meta Quest 2 at the new price will be just as powerful as previous models, with the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 processor that debuted back in 2019. With a more expensive “Pro” headset on the horizon and rumors of a new Quest model not launching until 2023 or 2024, those interested in virtual reality at an affordable price won’t have many options besides the Quest 2.

In Europe, prices were already significantly higher than in the US, with the 128GB model starting at €400, sometimes going as high as €450 in store offers. It is unclear how and if the US price hike will affect the European price and if these devices will become even more expensive in stores in the region.