As I’m writing this, Meta Connect 2024 is just a day away, which means we’re also just a day away from (hopefully) finally seeing the Meta Quest 3S in action – Connect is where many expect the much-leaked headset will make its debut. But its arrival could also be the end of one of the two Meta Quest 3 models, because leaks suggest the 128GB Quest 3 could be discontinued after the 3S launch.
This comes from two sources, @CezaryXR – Editor-In-Chief at XRDailyNews – and @Lunayian – the source of most Quest 3S leaks, just ahead of Meta itself. CezaryXR claims that the Quest 3S will have two models: a 128GB variant at around $300 and a 256GB model at around $400; this matches the price in that supposed leaked Amazon ad, and aligns roughly with the Quest 2’s prices of $299 / £299 / AU$479 and $399 / £399 / AU$599 for its two models respectively.
What’s more, Meta will also reportedly stop production of the 128GB Quest 3 by mid-November – so when it sells out it won’t come back. Both current Quest 3 models (128GB and 512GB) will be discounted too.
Exclusive Leak before Meta Connect:Meta will stop production of the 128GB Quest 3 by mid-November, leaving only the 512GB variant.Both versions will be discounted until the 128GB stock runs out, after which only the 512GB model will be available.September 23, 2024
Lunayian shared the post adding they “heard similar whispers” – however neither source can confirm what prices the Meta Quest 3 headsets will fall to.
In either case, it’s worth remembering to take these leaks with a pinch of salt, however they do support my one big piece of advice for anyone keen to buy a VR headset right now: wait. While I think a Quest 3 price drop makes sense (more on that below) whether it happens or not the Quest 3S looks set to be a headset at least worth considering – something you can’t do until it’s official.
A double-edged price cut
One question I’ve had about the Quest 3S is how its value proposition will stack up against the regular Quest 3. Yes the rumors say it’ll be bulkier, and have slightly worse specs in areas like its display and RAM – but still boast an identical processor – though as long as these downgrades don’t affect its performance too massively, the main deciding factor will be price.
And here there’s a lot of room for error. Make the Quest 3S too pricey and the Quest 3 will remain a no-brainer upgrade killing the new model, make it too cheap and the regular Quest 3’s sales could tank – yes older models get replaced eventually, but VR headsets are not yet at the yearly refresh cycle of smartphones (and they shouldn’t be).
This is why I was starting to convince myself the Quest 3S would start at around $350, or even $400 rather than being as cheap as the Quest 2 like many hoped. The strategy outlined in the leak above however is an alternative way to walk this pricing tightrope.
Eliminating the cheaper Quest 3 helps to create more of a distinction between the Quest 3S models and the top of the line Quest 3, meaning we can have our super-affordable Quest 3S without as much risk of it cannibalizing its predecessor.
Unfortunately, while the Meta Quest 3 will get a price drop according to the leaks, I suspect the 512GB model will land a little above the 128GB version’s current price of $499 / £479 / AU$799. If that’s the case, then when the 128GB model sells out the Quest 3 would get an effective price increase, which wouldn’t be ideal.
We’ll have to wait and see what’s announced at Meta Connect 2024 and beyond, but if the leaks hold true I’d recommend trying to snatch up a 128GB Meta Quest 3 while you can as that’s looking like my pick for the best of the four Quest 3/3S models, and it might not be around for much longer.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
