• Meta to charge $100 more for the Meta Quest 2 starting in August

    by on July 26, 2022 at 2:05 PM, EDT

    meta quest 2

    In what can only be described as a case of LOLCapitalism, Facebook’s parent company Meta has decided they need to increase the price of the popular Oculus (Meta) Quest 2 wireless VR device.

    You know, as if making a small boatload of money wasn’t already enough, now they suddenly need to charge an additional $100 on every unit sold in order to continue their VR efforts.

    Officially, the Meta Quest 2 will cost $100 more per model on August 1st, 2022.

    But hey, don’t worry – you get a free copy of Beat Saber (which costs $30 and is three years old) if you buy a Meta Quest at the new more expensive price.

    I’d argue that it’s paltry, but let’s be honest here: At this point, you’re lucky if anyone gives you anything for “free” these days, and at least Beat Saber is a game that appeals to far more people than the Star Wars Vader games that the original Meta Quest came with.

    More info below, straight from Meta themselves:

    Starting in August, Meta Quest 2 will cost $399.99 USD and $499.99 USD for the 128GB and 256GB versions respectively. And for a limited time, every new headset purchase will include an offer to download the popular VR rhythm game Beat Saber at no additional cost.* Alongside these changes, we’ll also increase the prices for Meta Quest 2 accessories and refurbished units.

    Sure, because why couldn’t they charge more? It’s not enough to gouge the hell out of casuals who are interested in VR with the sometimes absurd pricing of the software itself, but all of this likely comes from the news that Facebook accounts will no longer have to be linked to Meta Quest in order to use them.

    Which is likely the reason the Oculus Quest 2 was cheaper in the first place. I know from my personal experience that I absolutely adored the original Oculus Quest, but the moment Facebook announced you’d need to tie your accounts together, I sold mine for next to nothing on Facebook marketplace just to get away from it.

    More bullshit fluff to justify their reasoning:

    VR’s momentum is undeniable. From gaming and productivity to fitness and beyond, VR has become increasingly popular as it positively impacts the ways we work, play, and connect with each other. People have spent over $1 billion on Meta Quest apps, helping to fuel developers’ businesses as they deliver the games and experiences that make VR great.

    At the same time, the costs to make and ship our products have been on the rise. 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.

    Everything is more expensive, but why punish the consumers for that? Oh, wait.. here’s the real reason:

    We have an ambitious VR hardware roadmap, beginning with the launch of our high-end headset, Project Cambria, later this year. And we plan to ship new generations of Meta Quest after that.

    Why not just tell the truth, Facebook? You need to charge more money to develop your more expensive product so you aren’t taking a loss in R&D, otherwise Zuckerberg won’t be able to simulate surfing again by standing on a weird platform for a holiday fluff video. Y’all know cyborgs aren’t supposed to get wet.

    You know, I’ve considered picking up another Quest since PlayStation continually disappoints me with their VR headsets, but with the news of a “fuck you, pay us more” price increase, my interest went from slight to non-existent. Were any of you thinking about getting a Quest only to have this news shoot that deal in the face, Marvin style?

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