Both the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro headsets are going down in price.
Beginning this Sunday, March 5, the Quest 2’s 256 GB headset will be priced at $430, and the Quest Pro at $1,000. It’s a notable drop for both headsets: back in August 2022, both versions of the Quest 2 went up in price by $100, which priced the 256 GB at $499.
Meanwhile, the Quest Pro, which came out months later in October, launched at $1,500. Before release, its steep price was attributed to its intended target of business professionals as opposed to more casual players.
“Our goal has always been to create hardware that’s affordable for as many people as possible to take advantage of all that VR has to offer,” wrote Meta. The company added that lowering the price of both headsets would bring more users into the fold, particularly those who were turned off by their original prices.
Meta is working overtime to make VR happen
Earlier in the week, Meta reported it’s sold nearly 20 million of its headsets. The price drop is likely an attempt to turn that “nearly” into an “over.”
Beyond that, the cuts in price come as the company is still publicly trying to make a case for its metaverse, Horizon Worlds. As of 2022’s end, Meta’s VR developer Reality Labs continues to operate at a loss of nearly $15 billion.
Last month, it was reported that it was planning to lay off thousands of employees as part of a larger reorganization effort it began in November by laying off 11,000 employees. Some employees from Reality Labs were a casualty of those cuts.
Beyond the layoffs, Meta’s VR plans are also reportedly undercut by some of its developers being skeptical of the metaverse being the company’s savior. It’s believed that sometime this month, Meta will launch a teen-specific version of Horizon Worlds in an effort to appeal to the younger market.