Meta makes the Quest 3 and 3S more expensive due to the lack of memory

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The Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S are preparing to become more expensive in virtually every market where they are sold, including Spain. The company has confirmed an upward adjustment to its prices, which comes amid a RAM and NAND memory supply crisis, a problem affecting half of the technology sector.

This price change represents a shift from the aggressive strategy Meta had used to market these viewers, opting for a very competitive price-quality ratioThe rising cost of key components, with memory being the most prominent, has led the company to take action before cutting features or abandoning support for its virtual and mixed reality platform.

When will the price of the Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S increase?

From the early morning of April 19Meta will apply the new pricing to the entire Quest 3 and Quest 3S range. From that moment on, the headsets will no longer have the current prices in both euros and dollars, affecting the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Singapore.

Until that date arrives, European users can still find the Meta Quest 3 512GB for around 549 euros In Spain, the 128GB Meta Quest 3S is priced between approximately €319 and €329,99. These prices are significantly lower than those that will apply once the price increase takes effect.

Meta had previously lowered the price of its top-of-the-range model. The viewfinder of The 512 GB version went from $649,99 to $499,99 (around €549,99 in Europe), placing it at the same launch price as the now-discontinued 128GB model. However, this relatively advantageous scenario is now curtailed by the new price increase.

It should be taken into account that the change is not limited to the new productThe company has also indicated that refurbished Meta Quest 3 and 3S units will follow this price increase, although without yet breaking down the specific figures, which are expected to reflect the difference of between 50 and 100 dollars or euros depending on the version.

New prices for Meta Quest 3 and 3S in Spain and Europe

In the European market, including Spain, the increase is already clearly defined. Meta will apply different price increases depending on storage capacity, although the general guideline is that the The most advanced model is the most expensive.

These will be the indicative prices in euros after the adjustment for the Meta Quest 3 range in the European Union:

• Meta Quest 3S (128 GB): it goes from around €329,99 to €359,99 (an increase of €30).
• Meta Quest 3S (256 GB): goes from €439,99 to €469,99 (an increase of €30).
• Meta Quest 3 (512 GB): goes from €549,99 to €619,99 (an increase of €70).

In dollar terms, the situation is very similar. The Quest 3S is increasing in price. $50 for each of its variantsMeanwhile, the 512GB Quest 3 will increase by $100, reaching nearly $600 in the United States. This is a significant jump for a product that already represented the high-end option within Meta's standalone VR headset lineup.

If we look at the reference prices prior to the change, the viewer The 128GB Quest 3S cost $299,99The 256GB version was priced at $399,99, and the 512GB Meta Quest 3 at $499,99. In Europe, those same models were priced at around €329,99, €439,99, and €549,99 respectively, figures that reinforced the perception of good value for money.

The impact on European households will vary depending on the model. 30 euros extra on the Quest 3S They may be relatively affordable for someone looking for an entry point into virtual reality, but the An additional 70 euros for the 512GB Quest 3 They are much more noticeable and reduce some of the appeal as an "affordable premium" viewer.

The shortage of RAM and NAND memory, the trigger for the price increase

Meta has explained bluntly that the price increase is due to global increase in the cost of critical componentswith a special mention of memory chips. Their statements detail that "the cost of manufacturing high-performance virtual reality hardware has increased significantly," pointing to RAM and NAND memory as the main culprits.

The situation is framed within a kind of “RAM crisis” caused by artificial intelligenceLarge data centers and specialized AI hardware consume enormous amounts of memory, straining the supply chain and driving up the cost of DRAM and NAND modules for the rest of the industry. Various analyses suggest this pressure could continue for several years.

This domino effect has already been felt in products as different as desktop PCs, laptops, consoles, smartphones, or graphics cardsMany manufacturers have had to revise prices upwards or halt price reductions that seemed inevitable, and now the virtual reality sector is also entering this dynamic.

In the company's own words, to continue offering quality hardware and software, as well as the support associated with the Quest platformTherefore, it is necessary to adjust prices. In other words, Meta states that it prefers to maintain technical specifications and the level of support rather than cut corners on memory or downgrade components to balance costs.

From a more critical perspective, there are those who point out that it's unusual to see price increases midway through the life cycle of a consumer electronics product. The norm is usually the opposite: that, over time, the devices become cheaper or receive permanent discounts to remain competitive. Therefore, some in the community see the official message as an attempt to soften an unpopular decision, however real the cost pressures may be.

What do the Meta Quest 3 and 3S offer that makes them more expensive?

Beyond the price increase, it's worth reviewing what's behind these headsets. Both the Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S share the same Main hardware base: a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 SoC focused specifically on virtual and mixed reality experiences, along with 8GB of RAM in both models.

This set allows them to run games and applications with a level of detail and stability clearly superior to that of previous generations, and has been one of the arguments that explained their good performance-price ratio until now.

The differences are mainly visual. The model Meta Quest 3 opts for higher resolution LCD panelsWith 2.208 x 2.064 pixels per eye, approximately 1.218 pixels per inch and about 25 pixels per degree, this translates to a sharper image within the consumer virtual reality segment.

In optics, the Quest 3 uses Pancake lenses with continuous IPD adjustment (interpupillary distance), which makes it easier to fine-tune the positioning to find the most comfortable spot for each user. The screens support 72Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz modes, and the official field of view is around 110 degrees horizontally and 96 degrees vertically, competitive parameters compared to other consumer options.

The Meta Quest 3S, meanwhile, cuts back mainly on the screen and lenses to reduce the cost. This model ends up being... LCD panels of 1.920 x 1.832 pixels per eyeWith approximately 20 pixels per degree and around 773 pixels per inch, the image is somewhat less sharp, although sufficient for many users seeking their first experience with VR.

Instead of pancake lenses, the Quest 3S mounts Fresnel lenses with three preset IPD positionsThis somewhat limits the flexibility of the adjustment. The field of view is smaller, approximately 96 degrees horizontally and 90 vertically, although it maintains the same refresh rates of up to 120 Hz, which is key to the feeling of fluidity.

Another important difference lies in the passthrough, that is, what the user sees of their real-world surroundings through the viewfinder cameras. The most economical model It does without a depth sensor.This reduces capabilities in some more advanced mixed reality experiences, while the "big" Quest 3 offers a more complete and accurate passthrough.

How the price increase affects users in Spain and the rest of Europe

For Spanish and European users, the change means that Entering the Quest ecosystem will be significantly more expensive If you wait beyond April 19th, the most logical recommendation for those already convinced to buy is not to rush and to take advantage of current prices while they last.

At this time, it is possible to find the Quest 3S 128GB for around 319-329 euros The 512GB Quest 3 models were priced at around €549, figures that will be replaced by €359,99 and €619,99 respectively. The difference is significant, especially for the high-end model.

Despite this price increase, Meta insists that its viewers continue to offer a Outstanding value for money compared to other alternativesCompared to devices like the PS VR2, which costs around €449,99 but also requires a PlayStation 5, or high-end options like the Apple Vision Pro, with prices easily exceeding $3.000 in its market, the Quest family remains in a more accessible range.

Even so, the context doesn't help. The rise comes at a time when the DRAM memory crisis and the rise of AI have driven up the cost of much of the hardwareConsumers have already seen PC RAM, SSDs, memory cards, and even consoles like the PS5 experience their own round of price increases in certain territories.

In forums and social media, comments from users are repeated, lamenting that these types of movements make it difficult to get started in virtual realitySome argue that the sector needed precisely the opposite: increasingly affordable devices to popularize the technology and attract new audiences to the VR and mixed reality ecosystem.

Meta's stance and the future of virtual reality

In its official statements, Meta maintains that it maintains a long-term commitment to virtual reality These headsets are part of a broader roadmap, with more hardware and new experiences on the horizon. The company emphasizes that since the launch of the Quest 3 series, it has been incorporating software improvements, such as a revamped interface and features like the Surface Keyboard and Touchpad.

The catalog of games and applications has also been expanding with major VR titles, such as Assassin's Creed Nexus VR, Batman: Arkham Shadow or Asgard's Wrath 2, along with more independent proposals that complete the offer. This content ecosystem This is one of the factors Meta uses to justify that the Quest range remains competitive even with the price increase.

However, the company's internal reality presents both positive and negative aspects. At the beginning of the year, Meta carried out significant layoffs in the Reality Labs division and closed studios such as Armature Studio, Sanzaru Games and Twisted Pixel, moves that have fueled doubts about the true priority of virtual reality within the group's global strategy.

For now, the Quest headsets remain the cornerstone of Meta's mixed reality ecosystem, with an active user base and a community that continues to generate mixed opinions about this price change. While some consider the product It remains the helmet with the best value for money on the market.Others see this adjustment as a brake on the mass adoption of the technology.

With this new landscape, the Meta Quest 3 and 3S have gone from being an aggressively priced option to requiring a higher level of investment to access standalone virtual reality. The combination of capable hardware, a solid game library, and constant updates continues to work in their favor, but the RAM shortage and the rising cost of memory This is already very clearly reflected in what the European user will pay when they decide to make the switch.