Meta Quest 2 VR headset price jumps $100 to $399, gets zero new features

Enlarge / This week for Meta and its Quest 2 VR system, it's all about the Benjamins. One Benjamin more, to be specific. (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images | Meta)

Many categories in consumer tech have seen substantial jumps in cost over the past two years due to a strained supply chain, chip shortages, and other economic factors. But honestly, we didn't see this one coming.

Starting "in August," the Meta Quest 2 virtual reality system (formerly known as Oculus Quest 2) will receive a substantial change in MSRP, jumping from a base model cost of $299 to $399. That version includes 128GB of onboard storage, while the pricier Quest 2 headset with 256GB will jump from $399 to $499.

A $30 game for $100, then

Meta's Tuesday announcement struggles to clarify exactly why the hardware is jumping $100 across the board (33 percent for the base model, 25 percent for the higher-capacity version). Should you take the announcement at face value, its flat declaration might sound logical: "The costs to make and ship our products have been on the rise."