Meta is trying to apply a little ointment by offering future buyers the ability to download the popular Beat Saber for free for those who will purchase the headphones between August 1 and December 31, 2022, but it must be recognized that the announcements of price increases prices are not common in the video game world, especially for a device that will celebrate its 2nd anniversary in October. Still, the industrial world has been navigating in particular circumstances for many months now.
“The cost of manufacturing our products has increased“, therefore pleads Meta in its press release, considering that this price increase is necessary to “continue to invest in ways that help move the VR industry forward”an industry that Meta calls thriving with total spend that topped $1 billion at the start of the year on the Meta Quest Store.
“Even with these price changes, the Meta Quest 2 remains the most affordable VR headset on the market, and we continue to invest to regularly bring new software features and titles to the platform to expand the types of experiences people can live with the Meta Quest 2“, adds the press release.
This price increase, which also concerns accessories, will not be sufficient to redress the finances of Meta’s Reality Labs activity, of which virtual reality is a part, and which lost $ 4.5 billion in 2019. , then $6.6 billion in 2020 and over $10 billion in 2021, while starting 2022 posting another $3 billion loss in the first quarter. Losses attributed to the expenses invested in the famous construction of the metaverse, for which Mark Zuckerberg went so far as to rename his Facebook company in Meta.
Meta has invested billions of dollars to foster and grow a thriving VR ecosystem. We are adjusting the price of our Meta Quest 2 headsets to allow us to continue to invest in advancing this increasingly competitive industry for consumers and developers alike.
Meta insists on the fact that it intends to redouble its investment in the virtual reality market. In 2023, the company will release Project Cambria, its next high-end helmet which will be intended primarily for professional use. “And we plan to release new generations of Meta Quest after that“, can we read. But beware, if the Meta Quest 2 seems to have been carrying the market on its shoulders for almost 2 years, the virtual reality gaming industry could find a new lease of life with the release of the PlayStation VR2, possibly the next year.