Facebook Parent Meta affirms that it has raised the price of its VR headset

Due to inflationary pressures, Facebook parent company Meta has increased the cost of its Quest 2 virtual reality headset by $100.

The price hike was disclosed by Meta on Tuesday in a tweet.

The Quest 2's 256 GB model will cost $499 beginning from August 1 while the 128 GB model will cost $399, according to Meta.

To keep investing in driving the VR market forward for the long term, the company confirmed the increase on the price of the VR headset.

According to a recent Bloomberg article, the device will cost more than $1,000. Other reports said the VR headset will cost about $1,500 at retail. By raising the cost of the Quest 2, Meta is probably attempting to close the cost difference between the Quest 2 and Quest Pro.

Since changing its name to Meta last year, the company's first new collection of VR hardware will be the Quest Pro. After then, according to Meta, new iterations of the Meta Quest will be released.

On its official website, Meta further stated that the cost to manufacture and ship its products have been on the increase.

Quest 2's price adjustment will allow Meta to increase its funding for ground-breaking innovation and the creation of new products that will propel the VR market to new levels.

In comparison to Facebook's $27 billion in advertising sales, Meta's Reality Labs subsidiary, which sells VR headsets, recorded revenue of only $215 million in the first quarter. Reality Labs, meanwhile, reported a $2.96 billion operating deficit.

According to estimates by analyst firm Counterpoint, Meta is expected to have shipped more than 10 million Quest 2 headsets in 2021, outpacing rival manufacturers of VR headsets like Sony and HTC. According to the business, Quest 2's $299 relatively low pricing makes it more alluring to customers.

By including an offer to download the well-liked VR rhythm game Beat Saber for free when you buy a new headset, Meta is attempting to lessen the impact of the increased prices. According to the company, customers who purchase a Meta Quest 2 between August 1 and December 31 and activate the device by January 31 of 2023 using a login that does not yet have Beat Saber activated will have access to Beat Saber for 14 days after registration.

Over the next ten years, customers will transverse in a virtual world called the metaverse, according to Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta.

In a recent demo, Zuckerberg showcased the VR headset's mixed-reality features. Greyscale pass-through cameras on the Quest 2 allows users to see their environment without taking off the device. However, the Quest Pro will incorporate depth sensors that enable precise placement of digital items in real space as well as full-color, more realistic passthrough capability. The Quest Pro has the potential to create some extremely intricate augmented reality experiences if used properly.