Meta’s Quest 2 is getting a $70 price cut — but it’s probably not the model you want

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced permanent price cuts for both its Quest 2 and Quest Pro VR headsets. Starting with the Quest 2, the 256 GB variant will cost $429 (instead of $499) starting March 5, a price that looks even better next to Sony’s new (but very different) $549 PlayStation VR 2.

The pricier Quest Pro, which launched in late 2022 for $1,499.99, will be $999.99 on March 5 in the U.S. and in Canada, though that pricing won’t roll out globally until late March.

Notably (and controversially), the cost of the entry-level 128 GB Quest 2 isn’t changing. It’ll still be $399.99. For context, in 2022 Meta boosted its cost from $299.99 to $399.99 — a whopping 33% price hike. The move was attributed to the rising cost of components, and Meta wasn’t the only company to raise product costs; Sony raised the price of the PS5 in several regions outside of the U.S. The $399.99 price is high, but it’s still one of the most affordable ways to experience Half-Life: Alyx, a must-play VR game that’s still locked to PC.

Whereas the 2020 Quest 2 is a great generalist VR headset, Meta Quest Pro is the company’s pricier metaverse-focused headset. It can play the same games, and its hardware is more powerful and refined than the Quest 2’s. However, even at its new $999.99 price, The Verge’s review video shows that it might be a while until Meta can make it as strong of a value as the Quest 2.