The Oculus Quest 2 gets another price cut, and it’s the beginning of the end for the Meta VR headset

To ring in 2024 Meta has announced permanent price cuts for the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset and its accessories. The 128GB model now costs $ 249.99 / £249.99 / AU$ 439.99, while the 256GB version is $ 299.99 / $ 299.99 /AU$ 499.99 – saving you $ 50 / £50 on either model in the UK and US, or AU$ 70 and AU$ 80 respectively in Australia.

This announcement, made via an official blog post, follows a brief period around Black Friday just over a month ago when the Quest 2 headsets were reduced to the same price – though many stores also gave you gift cards, free accessories, or cashback on top of the price reduction. It follows the permanent price cut the Quest 2 headset got in June 2023, and amounts to a $ 150 / £150 / AU$ 190 total price reduction in less than a year

As for the Quest 2 accessories, the new prices are as follows:

  • Elite Strap: $ 49.99 / £49.99 / AU$ 89.99 – down from $ 59.99 / £59.99 / AU$ 84.99
  • Carrying Case: $ 44.99 / £44.99 / AU$ 79.99 – down from $ 59.99 / £59.99 / $ 89.99
  • Elite Strap with Battery: $ 89.99 / £84.99 / AU$ 154.99 – down from $ 119.99 / £109.99 / AU$ 189.99
  • Active Pack: $ 59.99 / £59.99 / AU$ 109.99 – down from $ 69.99 / £69.99 / AU$ 99.99
  • Fit Pack: $ 39.99 / £39.99 / AU$ 69.99 – down from $ 49.99 / £49.99 / AU$ 69.99

While a carrying case is useful, the Elite Strap with Battery is the best upgrade if you’re looking for recommendations. It not only extends the battery life of your headset but also provides a more secure and comfortable fit, thanks in part to the battery acting as a counterweight to the headset. 

The Oculus Quest 2 outfitted with an elite strap seen from the side and behind. A cable connects the strap to the headset so that the battery can keep the headset powered on for longer.

Oculus Quest 2 and Elite Strap with Battery (Image credit: Meta)

That said, some third-party accessories are just as good, if not better, and cheaper to boot, so you might want to consider those instead, even after these price cuts. Also, you should note that these accessories won’t fit the Meta Quest 3 – so don’t pick them up thinking you can get cut-price add-ons for your new VR headset.

Meta hasn’t said why the Quest 2 and its add-ons have had a price drop, though our guess is that it's to enable Meta to clear out stock and make room for the newer Meta Quest 3, and a first step towards phasing out the old VR headset.

The Quest 2’s twilight years

VR gadgets becoming cheaper and more accessible is a great thing in our book – it means more people than ever can experience what the best virtual reality software has to offer. But this announcement is bittersweet.

As great as the Quest 2 has been – single-handedly making VR mainstream for a start – its time eventually had to come to an end. With the Meta Quest 3 now here, and replacing the Quest 2 as our favorite affordable VR headset, it makes sense that Meta would make 2024 the year it starts to sunset the older model.

The Meta Quest 3 in its carrying case on a bed in front of a fabric tote bag

The Meta Quest 3 is here, and the Quest 2 is on its way out (Image credit: Meta)

That said, we shouldn’t get too carried away with eulogizing the Quest 2. It is still in production, and new VR software is still launching for the hardware – and likely will be for a while yet given how popular the gadget has been. 

But this price cut is a sign that the headset is on the way out. We’d be surprised if many (or even any) Quest 2s were being made in 2025, and as time goes on the flow of new software will slow to a trickle before stopping completely – we’re seeing the beginning of this already, with new mixed-reality software being produced with the Quest 3 in mind.

So, as enticing as these price cuts are, be aware that the Quest 2’s expiration date is approaching. If you buy one now it’ll likely serve you well for a couple more years; but if you want a gadget that will receive full support for longer – and will deliver far better performance – then the Quest 3 is the Meta headset you want to buy in 2024, even if it is pricier.

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Browser wars: Microsoft Edge is beginning to steal users from Google Chrome

New data suggests Microsoft Edge is slowly beginning to lure users away from Google Chrome, which has had a stranglehold on the web browser market for years now.

According to the latest figures from Statcounter, the Microsoft Edge market share exceeded 4% for the first time ever in November, cementing the browser’s place as the world’s third most popular service (behind only Safari and Chrome).

The only major browser to lose market share last month, meanwhile, was Google Chrome, which is now responsible for 64.04% of web activity, down from a peak of 65.27% in the summer.

Microsoft Edge vs. Google Chrome

Of course, the gap between Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome remains massive, and the latter won’t fall from the top spot any time soon.

However,  Microsoft will nonetheless be encouraged by the performance of its new flagship browser, with which it hopes to regain a foothold in the browser market after the infamous decline of Internet Explorer (which was once used by 95% of netizens).

Since the new Chromium-based Edge went live last year, its growth has been fueled in large part by the retirement of Edge Legacy and Internet Explorer, whose users Microsoft carefully funnelled towards its new service. To maintain this rate of growth, however, the company is tasked with figuring out how to lure people away from the likes of Firefox, Safari and Chrome.

In recent months, Microsoft has been aggressive in its attempts to push Edge, both leveraging the large Windows 10 and 11 install base to boost its user numbers and making it more difficult to switch default browsers (although it has since retreated a little on its position).

The company has also delivered a consistent stream of new features for the browser, ranging from new Microsoft 365 integrations to tools designed to help users save money in the run-up to Christmas.

After overtaking Mozilla’s browser in the rankings for the first time in July, Edge now appears to be successfully padding out its user base with converts from Chrome. Admittedly, progress is slow, but the signs are positive for Microsoft.

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