Meta has announced a price increase for its virtual reality headsets, citing the rising cost of memory chips. From April 19th, the Meta Quest 3S (128GB) and Quest 3S (256GB) will be priced at $349.99 and $449.99 respectively – a hike of $50 from their current prices. Meanwhile, the price of the Meta Quest 3 has jumped by $100 to $599.99.

The company stated that 'the cost of building high-performance VR hardware has risen significantly', due to the global surge in memory chip prices. This is not unique to Meta; other tech giants like Samsung, Microsoft and Sony have also had to adjust their prices in response to similar shortages.

Meta will apply these price increases to refurbished units but all accessories remain at current prices. The move highlights how critical components can impact product costs across the board – from smartphones to gaming consoles.

The company’s decision to pass on increased costs to consumers is a common practice in the tech industry, but it also underscores the ongoing challenges of supply chain management and the rapid pace of hardware innovation.