Meta announces staggering price drops for Quest Pro & Quest 2 VR headsets

Sayem Ahmed
The Meta Quest Pro front design

Meta is about to slash the price of its Quest 2 and Quest Pro headsets by up to $500, starting from March 5. We’ve got everything you need to know about exactly how much you’ll be able to save.

The Meta Quest 2 and Quest Pro are some of the best VR headsets around. After a price hike on its Quest 2 headsets last year, the company is now slashing the price of it, in addition to the Quest Pro.

The Quest 2 will see a pretty slim price drop from March 5. Firstly, it is limited to the 256GB model, which will be falling by $70 to $429.99 from $499. Though the headset is a few years old, it still manages to hold up for many mainstream VR applications, and you can also use it with passthrough to use PC VR for titles like Half-Life: Alyx, which you cannot play on the recently released PSVR2.

The Quest 2 has been much cheaper before, and is regularly discounted during shopping seasons, so this one is not much of a bargain. The much more interesting drop is with the Meta Quest Pro, which is receiving a much more significant price cut.

What is the Meta Quest Pro’s new price?

A full shot of the Meta Quest Pro

The new price of the Meta Quest Pro will be $999.99, starting from March 5. This is a staggering $500 off its original $1499.99 MSRP. The headset is only a couple of months old, but has seen previous price drops to around the $1100 mark. It also houses an upgraded chipset, with the Snapdragon XR2 Plus, making it more powerful than the Quest 2. The Meta Quest Pro has a fantastic, comfortable design that makes it one of the best VR headsets we’ve had the pleasure of using. Though, its launch price point stung quite badly.

You’ll get access to a color passthrough mode, in addition to eye and face tracking, which allows the headset to make use of advanced features like foveated rendering.

With heaps of titles to enjoy through its storefront, you are also going to be getting one of the best, and most cohesive VR experiences around. But, there are also deeper reasons behind the brand-new pricing for the headsets.

Why is Meta dropping the price of Quest 2 and Quest Pro?

Oculus Quest 2 VR Headset
Originally named the Oculus Quest 2, it is now known as the Meta Quest 2 — although it’s the same headset.

The Meta Quest 2 is getting a little bit long in the tooth, and most punters don’t usually opt for the higher-storage models of the device. With this in mind and the Quest 3 coming up later this year, it’s likely that this permanent discount has arrived to shift pre-existing stock of the Quest 2 before the new model launches in what is likely to be this Fall.

Meanwhile, the Quest Pro’s price drop is much more interesting. With the HTC Vive XR Elite just around the corner, Meta has cut the price to be just $99 cheaper than the contender’s headset. With what seems to be a meager launch lineup in addition to the lack of eye and face tracking on HTC’s option, this could be a strategic move to leverage HTC’s marketing blitz by presenting what is a fundamentally better option.

This also comes from a newfound consumer buzz for VR products, with the recently launched PlayStation VR2. This year is bound to be exciting for VR, and we’ll keep you up-to-date as we hear more.

About The Author

Dexerto's Hardware Editor. Sayem is an expert in all things Nvidia, AMD, Intel, and PC components. He has 10 years of experience, having written for the likes of Eurogamer, IGN, Trusted Reviews, Kotaku, and many more. Get in touch via email at sayem.ahmed@dexerto.com.