Meta is raising the price of its Quest headsets. And this time, it’s pointing the finger squarely at something most people never think about: RAM.
From April 19, the Quest 3 will jump to $599.99, a $100 increase. Both Quest 3S models are also getting pricier. The 128GB version will cost $349.99 and the 256GB model $449.99, both up by $50. Even refurbished units aren’t spared, with hikes of up to $170 depending on the model.
According to Meta, the reason is a global memory shortage that’s driving up the cost of key components. In a statement, the company said rising prices for memory chips are affecting “almost every category of consumer electronics.” Therefore, it is forced to adjust pricing to maintain the level of hardware and software it delivers.
It’s not an isolated move, either. The same RAM crunch has already pushed up prices across the industry. This is impacting everything from Samsung Galaxy devices to Microsoft’s Surface lineup and even Sony’s PlayStation 5. VR hardware, it seems, is just the latest to feel the squeeze.
What makes this shift notable is that VR pricing has generally trended in the opposite direction. Companies have tried to make headsets more accessible. The Quest range, in particular, has been positioned as one of the more affordable entry points into VR. However, this price bump slightly undermines that.
There is a small bit of good news. Meta says its smart glasses lineup won’t be affected by the same price increases, at least for now. This suggests the memory shortage isn’t hitting all of its product categories equally.
Still, if you’ve been eyeing a Quest 3, this might be your sign to act sooner rather than later. For once, it’s not demand or new features driving the price up, but rather the cost of the parts inside.
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