Meta is increasing the price of Quest 3 by $100 and Quest 3S by $50, starting on Sunday.
- Quest 3S (128GB): $300 → $350
- Quest 3S (256GB): $400 → $450
- Quest 3 (512GB): $500 → $600
Meta says the price hikes are coming because "the cost of building high-performance VR hardware has risen significantly".
"The global surge in the price of critical components — specifically memory chips — is impacting almost every category of consumer electronics, including VR", the company said in a prepared statement.
Official accessory prices are not changing, but refurbished headsets are also seeing an increase in price.
We should note that the 512GB Quest 3 model was actually $650 when it first released in 2023, before seeing a price cut as Quest 3S was launched, so it still remains cheaper than it was at launch. Though the simultaneous discontinuation of the 128GB model means the entry price for Meta's higher-end headset has increased by $100, regardless.
David Heaney
Of course, Meta is far from alone with this move. Sony has increased the price of PS5 consoles twice now, as has Microsoft for its Xbox consoles and Surface computers. Samsung has also increased the price of many of its phones and tablets. Of the tech giants with products that include notable amounts of RAM, only Apple and Google have held steady, and rumors suggest their future products will be priced higher.
(Apple's latest MacBooks are more expensive than their predecessors, but also include new chips and more storage, so this wasn't truly a price hike.)
Back in February, Valve said that it needed to "revisit" its "exact shipping schedule and pricing" for both Steam Frame and Steam Machine given the memory chip crisis. When announcing the headset back in November, Valve told UploadVR it was "aiming" to sell it for less than the $1000 Index full-kit, but it's now unclear whether it will hit that target.
David Heaney
Alongside today's price hike announcement, Meta also reiterated that it "remains committed to investing in VR and leading the category", and that it has a "long-term roadmap full of new hardware and experiences".
That echoes statements from Meta executives in recent months confirming that it's still "building future headsets" and suggesting that a gaming-focused Quest 4 is still on the roadmap.
