Meta Quest 2 the popular virtual reality (VR) headset has seen the price of the device fall below $200.
The device has not seen a price dive since the holiday season when the Meta Quest 2 outperformed Sony’s Playstation VR headset in sales by thirty to one. During this festive period, Meta’s portable headset was $250.
Why has Meta Quest 2 dropped in price?
The Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 have received favorable reviews in contrast to the expensive Apple Vision Pro equivalent, which was released last month at a $3,499 price point.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to Instagram to break down the Vision Pro, saying “Quest (2&3) I think is just a lot more comfortable. We designed it to be 120 grams lighter, which makes a really big difference on your face. There are no wires that get in the way when you move around. Our field of view is wider and I found our screen to be brighter also.”
The Quest 3 is still a lofty $300 more than the older version, but Quest 2 boasts PC connectivity, hand-tracking, and a whole host of games that can be accessed. The lower price point appeals to users who will want to dip their toes into the augmented reality world without a substantial monetary investment and are looking for solid specs on their first VR device.
The price dip also sparks rumors of a possible new version of the Quest 3 around the corner, the Quest 3 Lite. Although information is scarce and Meta has not officially said anything about a possible lighter and cheaper option to the Quest 3, the decline in the Quest 2 in such a short space of time could be a sign of a new device entering the VR headset fray.
Those hoping to pick up the popular headset can do so from major brands like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. The larger 256 GB version of the headset has seen a limited stock since launch and with the Quest 3 being updated substantially it would be a very slim chance to see a restock hit stores brand new.
The Quest 3 headset received a substantial update, as we reported last month, version .62. New features like being able to record spatial video, and the three-dimensional capture of the environment around you, were an attempt by Meta to get ahead of the Vision Pro release.
Users can upload straight from their iPhone to the Meta Quest app to view their recorded content without contesting Apple’s divide in price points between the two brands.
The Quest 3 also has controller support for those who like to use a physical device to take on adventures, but stream content through the headset as an alternative to the motion controllers or hand-tracking.
Meta has a few alternatives to the Vision Pro without matching the Apple device’s price point, but news of a more portable Lite version of the Quest 3 remains a rumor, unlike the deal for the 2020 Quest 2.