VR is about to become slightly more affordable as of March 5, says Meta. The company will drop the retail price of its 256 GB Meta Quest 2(opens in a new tab) headset by $70, from $499.99 to $429.99. And the Meta Quest Pro(opens in a new tab) headset will take an even more significant dive — around 33 percent — from $1,499.99 to $999.99.
That means there will be only $30 separating the price of a 128GB Meta Quest 2 ($399) and a 256 GB one ($429.99 as of March 5). So I am left scratching my head a bit. It seem like Meta wants to make the 256 GB model too good of a deal to pass up. Do they plan to sell any 128GB models at all this year?
Meta explained the cuts in an email to Mashable by noting "We’ve learned a lot of lessons about price elasticity and as a company we’ve adapted quickly," and adding that "being nimble and flexible enough to update plans over time is a critical part of building good products."
But these kind of drastic pricing updates are also an indication of just how inchoate the VR industry remains. Less than a year ago, in July 2022, Meta hiked up the price of both the 128 GB and 256 GB models of their Quest 2 headset by $100 each.
And while the Meta Quest Pro is visually impressive, its value within the market is still unclear. When Meta released the device in October 2022, it marketed the headset as the future of work. The company says cuts to the price of the Pro will further that aim, "makes industry-leading Meta Reality technology available to even more businesses and professionals around the world."
The pricing changes for the 256GB Meta Quest 2 will apply to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UK, and the US on March 5.
The Meta Quest Pro price drop will apply in the US and Canada on March 5, and in other countries where the Meta Quest Pro is supported on March 15.
