Meta is raising Quest 3 and Quest 3S prices, and the RAMapocalypse is to blame again

Meta announced that it will soon increase prices for the Quest 3 and Quest 3S headsets, including new and refurbished units. With this, the VR company joins a growing list of products getting pricier due to the global memory shortage, which has already swept up game consoles, handhelds, laptops, and basically any device that uses RAM.

Starting April 19th, US-based consumers will see both Quest 3S variants (128 GB and 256 GB) increase by $50, while the 512GB Quest 3 flagship will jump by $100. Here is what they will cost after the increase:

• Meta Quest 3S 128 GB: $350 (was $300)
• Meta Quest 3S 256 GB: $450 (was $400)
• Meta Quest 3 512 GB: 600 (was $500)

Meta cites the ongoing memory crisis as the main factor, saying in its blog post, "The global surge in the price of critical components-specifically memory chips-is impacting almost every category of consumer electronics, including VR. To keep delivering the quality of hardware, software, and support you expect from the Quest platform, we need to adjust our pricing."

Refurbished Quest units will also see pricing updates, though exact figures haven't been shared yet. On the bright side, Quest accessories will remain at their current prices, which makes sense since they don't include the affected components.

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Meta isn't the only VR company feeling the squeeze. Valve also found itself in a similar bind, announcing that it will have to revise both the price and release date of its upcoming Steam Frame VR headset. Meta's Quest headsets have always punched above their weight in terms of cost-to-quality, and that was their biggest selling point. This change makes them a harder sell.

This isn't the first time Meta has hiked prices for Quest. In 2022, the company raised the price of the Quest 2 by $100 just months after launch, then later reversed the increase as market conditions stabilized. We hope history repeats itself, but with experts warning that the current memory shortage could stretch to 2030, it's hard to stay optimistic.

At the time of writing, the Quest 3S and Quest 3 still start at $299 and $499, respectively. So, if you are in the market for a VR headset, now is a very good time to pull the trigger.