Meta Quest Headsets to Feature Price Reductions, is it Preparing for Apple AR/VR Headset Arrival?

Isaiah Richard, Tech Times 03 March 2023, 07:03 pm

There is a coming price reduction for the Meta Quest headsets in the coming days and it would apply to both of the wearables in the company's lineup to bring a more affordable price tag for all. It would center on the Meta Quest 2 and the Meta Quest Pro, which reports claim is anticipating the arrival of the Apple AR/VR Headset this coming June.

It is known that Apple's mixed-reality headset will come at a hefty cost as it is targetting professionals and developers on its delivery, with a premium $3,000 price tag at launch.

Meta Quest Headsets to Feature a Price Reduction this March

First reported by CNBC, Meta announced its plans for a price reduction of its Quest VR headset lineup this March, and it will focus on both existing releases from the company. This is despite the massive losses that Meta's Reality Labs incurred for the past year, and in Q1 2022 alone, the company lost a significant $3B in the department.

This is for all of the Reality Labs' ventures, including VR hardware sales and production.

(Photo : Meta)

It will center on the 256 GB Meta Quest 2 device which is originally $499, now down to $429, with a $70 price reduction.

Additionally, the most significant markdown here is the Meta Quest Pro which is originally selling for $1,499.99, and would soon be at $999, dropping by March 5.

According to Meta's press release, "Our goal has always been to create hardware that's affordable for as many people as possible to take advantage of all that VR has to offer."

Meta Quest vs. Apple's AR/VR Headset

While Meta did not discuss that this is in preparation for the Apple AR/VR headset coming this June, there are speculations that the company wants to offer an alternative for when Cupertino releases theirs. The Quest will go up against Apple's wearable hardware that is centered on a mixed-reality experience, unlike its VR-confined headset, even with the Quest Pro.

Meta's Quest Hardware

Meta unveiled the latest Quest hardware last year, and it centered on the Quest Pro headset which is its flagship device, coming in at a whopping $1,499.99 price tag. The device is powerful and Meta made it so to make its plans of the metaverse a soon reality for the public, using the latest VR device from its lineup, featuring pancake lenses and an HD-outward facing camera.

Several days after the Quest Pro's launch late last year, there were already claims from Meta and the Quest team for a successor to the lineup, showing its massive plans for its hardware development.

Of course, for those out of budget, there is still the classic Quest 2 VR device which is also widely available for $489, first unveiled by the company last September 2020.

The company is now looking to further improve the availability and affordability of its Quest hardware devices to the public, by making them significantly affordable to all interested owners of the device. Should Apple's wearable headset arrive, it will find stiff competition from the likes of Meta, especially with a feature-packed VR device that is cheaper.