It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the Quest 3; I’ve written about its potential as a big screen for Xbox Cloud Gaming, its ability to wow people with family fun, and even its application as a meditation machine. It’s easily the most accessible way of experiencing our XR future for yourself.
But probably the biggest thing the Quest 3 has going for it is that it’s accessible. In what way? Well, when you compare it to the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro — and how can’t you? — the $500 Quest 3 just makes sense for more people. Meta clearly understands this strength - and is doubling down on it, making it cheaper than ever to jump into the world of VR, for the cost of a few lattes.
The Prescription Is a Subscription
I’m not one to rejoice over more subscriptions, but in the case of Meta’s recent offering, it’s hard not to see the appeal.
For the first time, Meta is selling its Quest 3 headset on a subscription basis. For $24.99 customers can enter into an interest-free payment plan to buy its $500 Quest 3 headset. On top of that, it’s also throwing in a two-year subscription to Meta Quest Plus which is its own game service that offers hundreds of games you can play instantly.
That $24.99 price tag (a payment plan serviced by Affirm) will get you the 128GB Quest 3, but if you’re itching for the 512GB model, you can optionally spring for a $34.99 monthly subscription instead. Meta says the whole subscription could actually equate to people saving up to $200 compared to the price of buying all this individually, but as Tech Radar notes, that depends on which subscription you spring for and how you’re factoring in the cost of Meta Quest Plus (a month-to-month payment or a bundle for a year).
Savings or not, the subscription still makes the Quest 3 more accessible than it’s ever been, which is wild considering it’s already one of the most accessible deals in VR/XR, especially for what you’re getting. The lower entry price should help to entice those who are interested in trying a VR headset but aren’t quite ready to fork over hundreds of dollars to do so.
Play Now, Buy Later
This payment plan does has its downsides. For example, even if you can afford the $24.99 subscription price right now, you never know what the future has in store, and if your budget should change, you’re still liable for the whole two-year commitment.
That being said, I can’t think of a less stress-inducing way to try VR hardware for the first time. I might be familiar with the pros and cons of owning a headset, but most people aren’t, and risking $500 to find out (let alone Apple’s sky-high $3,500 ask) is likely a dealbreaker.
Whether the subscription model will actually move the needle is another story. Microsoft has already (fairly successfully) employed a similar strategy in an attempt to get Xbox consoles in people’s homes, but consoles are a much easier sell. The move certainly can’t hurt, though, and if you were on the fence about trying XR, now might be the time to act.
