Meta announced price increases for its Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S VR headsets, citing rising memory chip costs. The changes, effective April 19, apply to both new units and refurbished inventory, while accessories remain at current prices.
Price increases for Quest 3 and Quest 3S
According to Meta, the price of the Meta Quest 3S (128GB) will increase by $50 to $349.99, starting April 19. The Meta Quest 3S (256GB) will also rise by $50 to $449.99. The Meta Quest 3 price will increase by $100 to $599.99.
Meta stated that updated pricing will apply to Meta Quest refurbished units. However, all Meta Quest accessories will remain at their current prices.
Meta’s explanation for the price adjustments
Meta attributed the price increases directly to hardware manufacturing costs. The company stated: “We’re making this change because the cost of building high-performance VR hardware has risen significantly.” Meta continued: “The global surge in the price of critical components — specifically memory chips — is impacting almost every category of consumer electronics, including VR.”
Meta added that it needs to adjust pricing “to keep delivering the quality of hardware, software, and support you expect from the Quest platform.”
Part of a broader industry trend
Meta is not alone in raising hardware prices in response to memory chip costs. According to TechCrunch, Meta joins other tech companies including Samsung, Microsoft, and Sony in raising hardware prices due to the RAM shortage.
What this means for consumers
The immediate impact is that new and refurbished Quest headsets will cost more starting April 19. The decision to keep accessory prices unchanged suggests that cost pressures are concentrated in the headset components rather than the broader accessory ecosystem.
Source: TechCrunch