To ring in 2024 Meta has announced permanent price cuts for the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset and its accessories. The 128GB model now costs $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$439.99, while the 256GB version is $299.99 / $299.99 /AU$499.99 – saving you $50 / £50 on either model in the UK and US, or AU$70 and AU$80 respectively in Australia.
This announcement, made via an official blog post, follows a brief period around Black Friday just over a month ago when the Quest 2 headsets were reduced to the same price – though many stores also gave you gift cards, free accessories, or cashback on top of the price reduction. It follows the permanent price cut the Quest 2 headset got in June 2023, and amounts to a $150 / £150 / AU$190 total price reduction in less than a year
As for the Quest 2 accessories, the new prices are as follows:
- Elite Strap: $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$89.99 – down from $59.99 / £59.99 / AU$84.99
- Carrying Case: $44.99 / £44.99 / AU$79.99 – down from $59.99 / £59.99 / $89.99
- Elite Strap with Battery: $89.99 / £84.99 / AU$154.99 – down from $119.99 / £109.99 / AU$189.99
- Active Pack: $59.99 / £59.99 / AU$109.99 – down from $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$99.99
- Fit Pack: $39.99 / £39.99 / AU$69.99 – down from $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.99
While a carrying case is useful, the Elite Strap with Battery is the best upgrade if you’re looking for recommendations. It not only extends the battery life of your headset but also provides a more secure and comfortable fit, thanks in part to the battery acting as a counterweight to the headset.
That said, some third-party accessories are just as good, if not better, and cheaper to boot, so you might want to consider those instead, even after these price cuts. Also, you should note that these accessories won’t fit the Meta Quest 3 – so don’t pick them up thinking you can get cut-price add-ons for your new VR headset.
Meta hasn’t said why the Quest 2 and its add-ons have had a price drop, though our guess is that it’s to enable Meta to clear out stock and make room for the newer Meta Quest 3, and a first step towards phasing out the old VR headset.
The Quest 2’s twilight years
VR gadgets becoming cheaper and more accessible is a great thing in our book – it means more people than ever can experience what the best virtual reality software has to offer. But this announcement is bittersweet.
As great as the Quest 2 has been – single-handedly making VR mainstream for a start – its time eventually had to come to an end. With the Meta Quest 3 now here, and replacing the Quest 2 as our favorite affordable VR headset, it makes sense that Meta would make 2024 the year it starts to sunset the older model.
That said, we shouldn’t get too carried away with eulogizing the Quest 2. It is still in production, and new VR software is still launching for the hardware – and likely will be for a while yet given how popular the gadget has been.
But this price cut is a sign that the headset is on the way out. We’d be surprised if many (or even any) Quest 2s were being made in 2025, and as time goes on the flow of new software will slow to a trickle before stopping completely – we’re seeing the beginning of this already, with new mixed-reality software being produced with the Quest 3 in mind.
So, as enticing as these price cuts are, be aware that the Quest 2’s expiration date is approaching. If you buy one now it’ll likely serve you well for a couple more years; but if you want a gadget that will receive full support for longer – and will deliver far better performance – then the Quest 3 is the Meta headset you want to buy in 2024, even if it is pricier.
