Meta (formerly Facebook) just announced that the popular Quest 2 VR headset is about to be more expensive. Starting August 1st, Meta will increase the price of the VR headset by $100, with the 128 GB version of the Quest 2 being $399, while the 256 GB model will run $499.

And no, the new headset isn’t coming with new features, upgrades, or any added value for the higher price tag. According to Meta, this hefty price hike will help them “continue to invest for the long term and keep driving the VR industry forward.”

If there’s a silver lining, for a limited time, Meta will be giving out the popular game Beat Saber for free with the purchase of Meta Quest 2 between August 1st and December 31st of 2022. Basically, that $100 jump will help Facebook fund its upcoming Quest Pro headset, and you’ll get a free game.

In order to continue investing in moving the VR industry forward for the long term, we are adjusting the price of Meta Quest 2 headsets to $399.99 (128GB) and $499.99 (256GB) starting on 8/1/22.

— Meta Quest (@MetaQuestVR) July 26, 2022

The company mentioned that increasing operational and development costs are rising, so it needed to adjust the price of its Quest 2 headset. We understand a $29 or $49 increase, but $100 is rather steep.

“By adjusting the price of Quest 2, we can continue to grow our investment in groundbreaking research and new product development that pushes the VR industry to new heights,” Meta said.

For what it’s worth, last year, Meta did double the storage from 64GB to 128GB and kept the headset at the same base $299 price instead of increasing it, so maybe this is just its way of balancing out the difference.

Meta also confirmed that refurbished models would cost more too. While the company is confident its pricing and product are still hard to match, you might be better off waiting for the Quest Pro launch.

Source: Meta