The Quest 2 returns to its original price and benefits from a performance boost

The launch of the Quest 3 is not synonymous with the end of life for its predecessor, the Quest 2. This model benefits not only from a decrease in its price, but also from an update that will boost its performance!

The Quest 3 headset is obviously the star of the moment at Meta. The new model will be sold this fall at a price of € 569.99. Between a Quest Pro at € 1,199.99 and an Apple headset that the manufacturer could sell for $ 3,000, the Quest 3 promises to be a very affordable device finally. But for tighter budgets who still want to enjoy virtual reality, the Quest 2 remains in the catalog and even better, it will benefit from a reduction in its price.

Double shot for the Quest 2

The Quest 2 will thus be offered for € 349.99 from June 4th, which is € 100 less than currently. This model had undergone a substantial increase in its price last summer, by … 100 €. Therefore, it therefore returns to its original price. Is this a good deal? Obviously, the Quest 2, released in 2020, is less powerful than its successor which also offers a much more powerful passthrough video mode (which allows mixed reality experiences).

The games we announced in the Gaming Showcase are all playable on both Quest 2 and 3, and we expect that to remain the norm for quite a while. Of course mixed reality and high power titles may start to target Quest 3 over time

— Boz (@boztank) June 1, 2023

Nevertheless, all the games presented during the Meta Gaming Showcase are compatible with both models, as recalled by the company’s technical director, Andrew Bosworth. He also explains that this dual compatibility will remain the norm for a while longer, but he still reminds that “of course, mixed reality and more demanding games will target Quest 3 over time”.

From Meta’s point of view, it makes a lot of sense not to give up on Quest 2, at least not for a while. The headset is indeed very popular thanks to its price (almost 20 million units have been sold), even if studies have noted that users often end up putting it away in a corner rather quickly. This week’s showcase demonstrated a certain vitality around the games, so maybe it will push the owners of the Quest 2 to give the helmet a chance again.

Meta will also propose a software update that will boost the performance of the Quest 2. The capabilities of the processor will increase by 26%, those of the GPU (graphics performance) by 19%. Developers will have to configure their apps to take advantage of these improvements, but when this is done, users will enjoy better gameplay and an improvement in the responsiveness of the interface.

The Quest Pro, which will also be entitled to an update of its software to increase performance, is obviously still sold by Meta which directs it to productive tasks.