Meta’s new plan makes Quest 3 the best VR device – and not by a long shot

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the Quest 3. I’ve written about its potential as a big screen for Xbox cloud gaming, its ability to engage people with family fun, and even its application as a meditation device. It’s simply the most accessible way to experience our XR future for yourself.

But the Quest 3’s biggest advantage is probably that it’s accessible. How so? Well, when you compare it to the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro—and how could you not?—the $500 Quest 3 just makes sense for more people. Meta clearly understands that strength—and doubles down on it by making entry into the world of virtual reality more affordable than ever for the price of a couple of lattes.

The recipe is a subscription

I’m not the type of person who gets excited about more subscriptions, but with Meta’s latest offering, the appeal is undeniable.

For the first time, Meta is selling its Quest 3 headset on a subscription basis. For $24.99, customers can sign up for an interest-free payment plan to purchase the $500 Quest 3 headset. There’s also a two-year subscription to Meta Quest Plus, its own gaming service that offers hundreds of games you can start playing right away.

For that $24.99 price (a payment plan offered by Affirm), you get the Quest 3 with 128GB, but if you’re craving the 512GB model, you can optionally get a monthly subscription for $34.99 instead. Meta says the entire subscription could actually result in people saving up to $200 compared to the price if they were to buy everything separately, but how Technology radar Notes: This depends on which subscription you choose and how you budget for Meta Quest Plus (a monthly payment or a one-year package).

Savings or not, the subscription still makes the Quest 3 more accessible than ever, which is crazy considering it was already one of the the cheapest deals in VR/XR, especially for what you get for it. The lower entry price should help attract those who want to try out a VR headset but aren’t willing to spend hundreds of dollars on it.

Play now, buy later

This payment plan does have its drawbacks. For example, even if you can afford the $24.99 subscription price now, you never know what the future holds, and if your budget should change, you’ll still be liable for the entire two-year commitment.

Still, I can’t think of a less stressful way to try out VR hardware for the first time. I may know the ins and outs of a headset, but most people aren’t, and risking $500 to find out (not to mention Apple’s astronomical $3,500) is probably a dealbreaker.

Whether the subscription model actually makes a difference is another story. Microsoft has already used a similar strategy (quite successfully) to get Xbox consoles into people’s homes, but consoles are a much easier sell. The move certainly can’t hurt, though, and if you’ve been on the fence about trying XR, now might be the time to do it.