Meta has introduced it is completely reducing the worth of its getting old Quest 2 headset to $199 for a 128GB base mannequin, representing the corporate’s lowest worth but for a full-featured untethered VR headset.
The Quest 2, which launched in 2020 at $299, famously defied tech product conference by rising its MSRP to $399 amid inflation and provide chain points in mid-2022. Precise costs for the headset at retail have fallen since then, although; Greatest Purchase supplied new items for $299 as of final October and for $250 by the 2023 post-Thanksgiving procuring season, for example.
And the Quest 2 is much from the corporate’s state-of-the-art headset at this level. Meta launched the surprisingly costly Quest Professional in late 2022 earlier than dropping that headset’s worth from $1,499 to $999 lower than 5 months later. And final yr’s launch of the Quest 3 at a $499 beginning worth introduced some important enhancements in decision, processing energy, thickness, and full-color passthrough photographs over the Quest 2.
However for a way lengthy?
These trying to get the Quest 2 at its new discount MSRP ought to take into account that Meta will not be planning to assist the getting old headset for the lengthy haul. Meta is presently winding down assist for the unique Quest headset, which launched in 2019 and not has entry to vital on-line options, safety updates, and even new apps. The Quest 2 is simply 18 months youthful than the unique Quest, and the brand new worth may signify an effort to filter out defunct inventory in favor of newer, extra highly effective Quest choices.
Meta
Then once more, loads of builders are nonetheless concentrating on apps and video games on the comparatively giant viewers on the Quest 2, which bought an estimated 15 million items by way of mid-2022, roughly on par with the Xbox Collection S|X in roughly the identical time interval. However there are some indicators that Quest 2 software program is promoting comparatively slower than these {hardware} numbers may recommend amid experiences that many Quest purchasers are not energetic customers. And Meta continues to lose huge quantities of cash on the VR phase, whereas Sony is reportedly halting manufacturing of the PS5-tethered PSVR2 headset amid weaker than anticipated demand.
The Quest 2’s new worth is the primary time Meta has supplied a headset beneath the “$250 and 250 grams” goal former Meta CTO John Carmack as soon as envisioned for a “tremendous low cost, tremendous light-weight headset” that would carry within the mass market (the Quest 2 weighs in at 503 grams). The brand new worth can also be stunningly low cost when you think about that, simply six or seven years in the past, VR-curious customers may simply find yourself paying $1,500 or extra (in 2024 {dollars}) for a high-end tethered headset and the “VR-ready” pc wanted to energy it.
If you happen to’ve waited this lengthy to see what digital actuality gaming is all about, this worth drop is the proper alternative to indulge your curiosity for a relative pittance. Heck, it could be value it even when your headset finally ends up, like mine, a Beat Saber machine more often than not.
