Black Friday is right around the corner, and for the first time in years, we aren't so certain about whether the Meta Quest 2 is going to be discounted. With a new device in tow and a fair few competitor headsets on the shelves, I wouldn't blame you for asking if it's still worth buying a Meta Quest 2 this Black Friday.
The Quest 3 is an excellent new device, but in my time with it so far, I wouldn't argue that it makes the Quest 2 completely obsolete. There's a reason the Meta Quest 2 has been such a popular headset since its launch in 2020, and not everyone will need the most up-to-date features, especially if they're shopping around for their first VR headset. In fact, I think I'd still recommend the Quest 2 to you depending on what type of shopper you are.
The best VR headsets are usually some of the priciest gaming devices you can buy. For that reason, if you buy a new device, you want to make sure you're actually getting your money's worth. I'd argue that the Quest 2 still offers loads of value for money in terms of its specs and features, but it's understandable to doubt that with any device as soon as it gets a younger sibling.
With global inflation rates soaring and cost-o'-living problems still plaguing the hopes of many Black Friday shoppers, the prospect of a brand new Quest 3 at either $499 / $649, or £479 / £619 could be daunting. For those types of buyers, a "budget" option of seeking out a Quest 2 could be a perfect solution. When it comes to the topic of Black Friday Meta Quest deals, I'd say it's unlikely we'll get a Quest 3 price drop this year since it just launched. But you truly never know what kind of bundles and deals are in store for the older Quest 2. Its budget price tag could get even cheaper if we're lucky.
But even if your budget can stretch to a newer device, I'm still not sure I'd recommend the Quest 3 to everyone. If you already own a gaming PC or a console, you might be better off going for another headset entirely.
Is the Meta Quest 2 still worth buying in 2023?
Meta has claimed it will still support the older Quest 2 and Quest Pro with software updates going forward, despite the launch of the newer model. What's more, it's still very easy to find a Quest 2 brand new, and for the next little while, you're not going to miss out on new games since the majority of content available for Quest 3 is actually just backward-compatible Quest 2 games.
What's more, a price of just $299 / £299 for the 128GB model means you have a genuinely affordable headset that isn't even that behind the times. The Quest 2 is one of the most popular VR headsets of all time, and plenty of Quest 3 buyers have noted that the jump in quality isn't that huge. Beyond the pancake lenses and better audio, the Quest 2 feels very similar to the Quest 3, and there aren't too many feature disparities between them.
Not only is it cheap for now, but you really never know what could happen this Black Friday. For the past few years, we've seen Quest 2 bundles and discounts hitting the shelves, and while the spotlight of attention will most likely be pivoted to the Quest 3 from now on, we could see some bundles and Quest 2 accessories go on sale this Thanksgiving week. Should the Quest 2 get any cheaper, it will be an absolute steal for first-time VR buyers. In my opinion, if Meta wants to get to the stage where VR headsets can be found in homes more often than not, it could hugely benefit from continuing to go after Quest 2 sales.
After all, you'll hardly be short of games to play going forward. The Quest 2 has one of the biggest, if not the biggest library of VR games available. Some of the best VR games ever made are on there, and with a cross-generational store, you never know if beefed-up Quest 3 games will also be available on the previous generation.
Finally, with the vast range of Quest 2 accessories on the shelves at this point, you could very easily buy a cheap Quest 2 this November, then make it feel next gen with a battery pack headstrap, controller grips or modifiers, a comfier facial interface, a case, or even a funky charging stand with RGB lights.
But what kind of deals could we see this November? In previous years, we've seen price drops and bundles during Black Friday sales. In 2022, the big offer was getting Resident Evil 4 and Beat Saber for free with your purchase, as well as a $50-$70 discount at the same time. Now, it must be said that since then, the Quest 2's price has increased, then decreased again thanks to the launch of the Quest 3. You can now grab one for just £299 / £349 in the UK, and $299 / $349 in the UK. As luck would have it, those are actually the same prices we saw for the Black Friday bundles in 2022.
For all those reasons, a Quest 2 is well worth considering these days, and you shouldn't write it off a Christmas list in 2023.
Buy a Meta Quest 2 if:
- You've never owned a VR headset before
- You don't need the best features
- You want to get more accustomed to VR gaming
- You're on a tight budget
- You want to replace the lenses with prescription-specific ones anyway
- You want to play pre-Quest 3 games
However, the Meta Quest 3 is the better buy for enthusiasts
The Quest 3 is a great option if you want a standalone VR headset with as up-to-date features as you can find. The passthrough cameras of the Quest 3 are truly second to none, so much so that some early purchasers are even cooking with the Quest 3 headset on so they can keep a browser page open with a recipe in their field of view.
If you are interested in spatial computing, and you were wowed by the reveal of the Apple Vision Pro, you'll probably get use out of the Metaversal, mixed-reality features of the Quest 3, so that's an argument to save a little more and buy a Quest 3 when you can.
Overall, I'd buy a Quest 3 over a Quest 2 if you genuinely care about getting the best features in a standalone headset, or if you've played some VR before and know you'll get some solid use out of it. After all, you don't want to hand the cashier over $500 of your hard-earned cash and realize a month after buying the device that your lust for VR was a flash in the pan.
Lastly, if you don't already own another gaming platform that has VR potential, a Quest 3 is your best bet at experiencing the latest and greatest VR games. So, in short, if you don't own a gaming PC or a PS5, or if you do own an Xbox Series X, a Quest 3 might be for you.
The release window bundle is still active for Quest 3, which gets you a free copy of Asgard's Wrath 2 with either size of device. If you opt for the larger 512GB model, you'll also get six months of Meta Quest+ at no extra cost.
Buy a Meta Quest 3 if:
- You don't own a PS5 or a gaming PC
- You know you enjoy VR and you'll get use out of it
- You want extremely clear passthrough cameras
- You'll make use out of mixed-reality features and spatial computing
- You want access to updated games and new VR games that come out for beefed-up devices.
- You want the best standalone headset on the market
What about the competition?
As much as I'd argue the Quest 2 is still worth buying in a post-Quest 3 world, I'd still suggest that neither is the best VR headset for gaming overall. In my opinion, PSVR 2 with its growing library and innovative features is the best for gaming specifically. After all, there's more than one name in the race for this year's Black Friday VR headset deals.
If you have a high-end gaming PC or a PS5, I'd argue you'd actually get better value for your money by shooting for a PSVR 2 or an HTC Vive Pro 2, or even a Valve Index. Certainly, if you have a PS5, and tend to do most of your gaming on a PlayStation, you'll get way more use out of a PSVR 2 than you would from a Quest - depending on how you'd use the headset. A PSVR 2 will let you play games and watch content on a PlayStation in cinematic mode, or fully immersed VR.
Admittedly, a Quest 2 or Quest 3 will probably offer you a better selection of wider apps and browsing potential, so if you want to do more than play VR games, or you want to be untethered by cables and a beefier device, one of the Quests might suit you better.
Similarly, any folks who already have a gaming PC should think about saving as much as they can to grab a PC VR headset. The HTC Vive Pro 2 will do you well, and its crystal clear display will ensure your games look stunning.
While the Meta Quest 3 has far fewer privacy foibles than the Quest Pro, at least in my opinion, one thing to note if you're interested in a Meta Quest headset this winter is that you will be beholden to Meta's data mining and privacy track record. You'll need a Meta account to set up whichever headset you buy, and you do need to sign away some permissions for the apps you'd like to use.
If you want longer playtime, beefier features, and otherwise want to bypass the shortcomings of a standalone VR headset, you'll probably prefer a PC option, or a PSVR 2.
Buy another VR headset if:
- You own a PS5 or a gaming PC
- You don't mind being tethered to another platform
- You have privacy concerns with Meta
- You want more VR power
For some VR headset deals in your area before Black Friday, check out the window below. We've used our price comparison software to bring you the best prices on some hand-selected devices.
For more Black Friday buying advice, take a look at our expectations for Black Friday gaming PC deals, Black Friday Secretlab deals, and Black Friday Xbox deals.
