The only entry into VR that normal gamers can afford will be significantly more expensive: “$400 is too much for me.”

VR technology is very expensive and there are only a few cheap devices on the market. The best entry for gamers is now significantly more expensive.

If you want to use VR technology, you usually have to invest a lot of money. Devices such as the Valve Index headset already cost 800 euros in the basic configuration and that is already a lot of money for many users who “only” want to gamble.

With the Meta Quest headset (formerly Oculus Quest), Facebook (now Meta) offered a comparatively inexpensive device if you wanted to get a taste of VR. Prices start here at 300 euros.

But now Facebook/Meta has announced that they want to increase prices. Very few are enthusiastic about this. Some even believe that Meta will lose its price advantage as a result.

Meta increases prices, to “advance the VR industry”

What is actually more expensive? Starting August 1, 2022, Meta will increase the prices of its VR headsets.

• Meta Quest 2 with 128GB of storage will then be $399.99. Previously, the price was $299.99.
• For Meta Quest 2 with 256 GB you have to pay 499.99 US dollars. Previously, the price was $399.99.

So the prices for the two devices will increase by around $100. Anyone hoping to be able to save money with refurbished devices will also have to be disappointed. Because Meta also wants to adjust the prices for old devices and accessories.

In Germany, the prices in euros are almost identical. Depending on the shop, you pay around 30 euros more and some shops have already raised the prices to 429 euros for the 128 GB model

Why is everything getting more expensive? In an extensive Blog post had explained metathat the costs for production and also the prices for shipping have increased. In addition, the price increase will help their own development. How to write in your own blog post:

Now we are making a change that will help us continue to invest for the long term and propel the VR industry towards true next-gen devices with premium hardware, action-packed games and cutting-edge research.

According to Meta, the Quest 2 is still the most affordable VR device for gamers. But the community sees it differently and many gamers are upset about the announcement.

Rising costs are also a reason for discussion in other cases:

Gamers think the Meta Quest 2 price increase is too high, others think it makes sense

This is how a user writes down reddit: “$300 was a real sweet spot. 400 (dollars) is just too much for me.” Above all, many simply cannot understand the argument that this should strengthen the industry. After all, a price increase of 100 US dollars is not exactly small.

But some also explain that the device was far too cheap anyway and Meta always heavily subsidized the device. That way, people could have been more persuaded to give the headset a chance. In the long run, that could actually help the industry. This is how a user writes down reddit:

The original price was always too good to be true and was subsidized in large part by Meta from the start. I agree that the new price is much better for the industry in the long run. Now, for example, Sony no longer has to sell its new PSVR2 headset at a loss to compete with a cheap Quest 2.

Another adds that the price of the Meta Quest 2 headset has never been rivaled by anyone anyway. Due to the price increase, other companies now have a small chance. Also, $400 for a VR headset is still little money when you look at the competition (via reddit.com).

What do you think? What do you think of the price increase? Does it not matter to you that the prices are rising significantly or do you think that’s exaggerated like other users?

What else is happening in VR? At CES 2022, Sony presented its new VR system for the PS5: PS VR2. This is the official VR device if you want full immersion in virtual worlds on PS5. With a free adapter you could also use your old PSVR device on the PS5. You can read about what exactly is changing and which exclusive game was introduced with PSVR 2 here:

Sony finally shows new accessories for the PS5 – This is PS VR 2