If you’re thinking of buying a Quest 2 virtual reality headset, you might want to do so soon. Next month Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, will price increase of popular VR headset 100 dollars.
Starting in August Mission 2 will cost $399.99 and $499.99 for the 128GB and 256GB versions respectively. None of the improvements to the hardware come with an increased cost. However, for a limited time, customers purchasing the headset will be able to download the $30 VR rhythm game Defeat Saber no additional costs.
Meta is also bullish for Meta Quest 2 accessory and refurbished units.
“Our production and shipping costs are increasing,” says Meta. Oculus’ blog. “By adjusting the price of Quest 2, we can continue to increase our investment in groundbreaking research and new product development to push the VR industry to the next level.”
Facebook acquired VR headset maker Oculus in 2014. As Meta herself put it, the company has been “involved” in VR for years. Serious Meta invest in metaverse allowed it to offer exclusive VR hardware and content at a subsidized cost.
Thanks to large investments, Quest headsets are very popular – Meta controls 90% of the market for VR headsets in Q1 this year, according to IDC. However, those investments have severely reduced Meta’s profits. In April, the company reported that in Q1, the Reality Labs business lost 2.96 billion dollars.
Meanwhile, Meta will soon face more competition in the market. Consumers next year will benefit from Pico and Sony’s next-generation headphones. Apple could finally release its much-anticipated mixed reality headset in 2023, which analysts say will be a “game changer. “
Meta says it will launch a new high-end headset, Project Cambria, later this year. It plans to ship new generations of Quest headphones after that.
