A growing number of companies are raising device prices amid an ongoing global memory shortage. What began with increases in computers, consoles, and smartphones is now extending to virtual reality, with Meta’s Quest headset lineup, particularly the Quest 3 and Quest 3S, among the latest affected.
In a recent blog post, the tech giant announced that the 128GB and 256GB variants of the Meta Quest 3S will see a US$50 (~RM197) price increase, rising from US$300 (~RM1,187) to US$350 (~RM1,385) and from US$400 (~RM1,583) to US$450 (~RM1,780), respectively. Meanwhile, the Quest 3 will go from US$500 (~RM1,978) to US$600 (~RM2,374).
The company added that the price increase will also apply to refurbished units, while other Meta Quest accessories will retain their current pricing. The changes will take effect from 19 April.
Outside the US, Meta will also adjust pricing in international markets. A full list of affected countries and revised pricing is provided in the table above. At the time of writing, we don’t know when these changes will apply to the Malaysian market, if at all.
The company mentions that the cost of building its hardware “has risen significantly,” prompting the price increase. It added that rising memory costs are a key factor behind the increase.
Though the company didn’t directly say it, it is indirectly blaming AI for eating away at the RAM supply. After all, the sudden uptick in AI diverted memory production toward specialised data centre hardware, reducing supply for consumer-grade RAM.
If you recall, the tech giant was once heavily committed to virtual reality and the metaverse, dedicating significant time and resources to it. The company even rebranded from Facebook to Meta to reflect that focus. Over time, however, it has gradually shifted attention from VR to further focus on AI. That said, the company emphasised that it will continue investing in VR, stating that it has a “long-term roadmap full of new hardware and experiences”.
(Source: Meta, via Tom’s Hardware)
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