Tech Desk 
Apr 17, 2026
Meta Platforms has officially announced a hike in the prices of its virtual reality (VR) headsets, effective April 19, in the United States (US) amid rising costs of memory chips.
Meta stated that the new prices would also apply to refurbished Quest units, while accessories would retain current pricing. Its entry-level Quest 3S headset with 128 gigabytes of storage will now priced at $349.99, compared with $299.99 earlier, the Facebook parent said.
Moreover, the price of its higher-end Quest 3 headset with 512 gigabytes of storage will increase by $100 to $599.99. The 256-gigabyte headset will be priced at $449.99.
It is important to note that the rapid build-out of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure by companies such as OpenAI, Alphabet's, opens new tab Google and Microsoft, opens new tab has driven up demand for memory chips, as manufacturers prioritise components for higher-margin data centers over consumer devices.
To handle the impact of the tight supplies, companies like Dell, opens new tab, HP, opens new tab and Microsoft, opens new tab have also increased prices of their devices.
The company's recent moves indicate a strategic pivot away from VR toward AI after years of heavy spending on its metaverse ambitions through Reality Labs, the division responsible for developing Quest mixed-reality headsets and smart glasses.
In 2021, the metaverse project had prompted the company's name change from Facebook. The Reality Labs division has accumulated more than $70 billion in operating losses since then.
