The 256GB model of Quest 2 is either out of stock or completely delisted at Meta.com and almost all retailers.
Quest 2 is available in two models, one with 128GB storage and another with 256GB storage. There was originally a 64GB model, but it was replaced by the 128GB one in 2021.
When launching Quest 3 in October Meta did not retire Quest 2. Instead, it continues to be sold as a lower-cost alternative, and its price was soon after cut to $250 for the 128GB model and $300 for the 256GB model.
As of this week though, the 256GB model of Quest 2 is showing as “out of stock” on Meta.com for all 22 supported countries. Further, it has been completely delisted from most retailers, including Amazon US and Amazon UK, though refurbished models are still offered by some.
While it’s possible this is just a temporary production or stock logistics issue, we haven’t seen this happen before so universally, and it’s likely not a coincidence for this to happen so late in the headset’s life. It strongly suggests that Quest 2 could be taken off the market when 128GB model stock runs out too.
UploadVR contacted Meta for comment earlier this week, but we did not receive a response.
Is Quest 3 Lite Coming Soon?
As it stands, if Quest 2 was off the market the entry price for Meta’s VR platform would become $500, the 128GB model of Quest 3. But there’s strong evidence that Meta plans to introduce a cheaper headset to directly replace Quest 2, a headset rumored to be called “Quest 3 Lite”.
A Meta hardware roadmap meeting leaked to The Verge in March last year revealed the company planned to release a new headset after Quest 3 in 2024 “at the most attractive price point in the VR consumer market”.
Reports from The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and a Chinese analyst who has been reliable in the past suggest this headset will feature the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset from Quest 3 but use the old fresnel lenses from Quest 2 to hit a low enough price to replace it. XR2 Gen 2 has a more than twice as powerful GPU, which some developers are already using to deliver much better graphics.
It seems likely that Quest 2’s price cut was in fact a clearance sale, and has already successfully cleared stock of the 256GB model. But how long will it take for the 128GB stock to deplete too, and will a Quest 3 Lite soon follow?
