It’s only been three months since Meta launched Quest Pro, pitching its next-gen mixed reality standalone to enterprise and prosumers with the hefty price tag of $1,500. In an unusual move by the company, Meta has quietly slashed the price of Quest Pro for a limited time, putting it more directly in competition with HTC’s recently revealed Vive XR Elite standalone headset.

Update (11AM ET): Sale timing has been revealed; the price drop is in effect for one week only in the US, and two weeks in the UK (dropping to £1,300). We’ve included this in the body of the article below.

Released in late October, Quest Pro essentially set the tone of the next generation of standalone VR hardware. Typically, Meta is consumer-forward, pricing its headsets below (or close to) $500, but Quest Pro represents a pivotal shift in Meta’s strategy.

Starting with Quest Pro, the company is using mixed reality as “a key part of the journey toward full augmented reality devices,” Chief Technology Officer and Reality Labs Chief Andrew Bosworth described in a year-end blogpost.

Quest Pro | Image courtesy Meta

With the sale, it seems the company is quietly gunning to retain its share of the budding MR headset marketplace by knocking the price of Quest Pro to match its largest competitor, Vive XR Elite, which HTC revealed earlier this month, couching it as its long-awaited return to the consumer VR space.

Vive XR Elite | Image courtesy HTC

Now, Meta’s Quest Pro is priced at $1,100, or $400 below its previous MSRP, challenging Vive XR Elite’s unique selling points in the process. According to CNET, the sale is happening for one week only in the US, and two weeks in the UK (dropping to £1,300).

Notably, these aren’t entirely analogous devices; some hardware quirks might act as key differentiators, although the undeniable overlap now puts them squarely in direct competition. Still, it’s pretty close.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the headset specs side-by-side:

Feature

Vive XR Elite

Quest Pro

Inside-out tracking wide FOV cameras (4), depth sensor (1) wide FOV cameras (4), no depth sensor
Passthrough single 16 MP RGB camera single RGB (MP?) camera
Resolution 1,920 × 1,920 per eye (LCD) 1,800 × 1,920 per eye (LCD)
Display Refresh 90 Hz 90 Hz
Eye-tracking Additional module required Onboard eye-tracking
Face-tracking Additional module required Onboard face-tracking
Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+
Storage & Memory 128 GB / 12 GB 256 GB / 12 GB
FOV up to 110-degrees diagonal up to 96-degrees diagonal
Optics Pancake lens Pancake lens
IPD Adjustment manual, 54–73 mm range manual, 55-75 mm
Audio built-in open-ear audio built-in open-ear audio, 3.5mm audio port
Weight 625g (including battery), 273g in ‘glasses’ mode 722 g (including battery)
Controllers 6DOF motion controllers (2), hand-tracking 6DOF motion controllers (2), hand-tracking
Playtime on battery ~2 hours ~2 hours
Retail Price $1,099 $1,099 (MSRP $1,499)
SEE ALSO
Official Quest 3S Image Leaks Ahead of Anticipated Meta Connect Unveiling

A raw spec sheet doesn’t exactly tell the full story, although it’s clear HTC will need to play catchup if it intends on remaining competitive with Meta now that both headsets have achieved price parity, albeit temporarily. Vive XR Elite is still in pre-order, with a late February shipping window, while Quest Pro is available today, direct from Meta.

In Vive XR Elite’s favor is its convertibility: the traditional battery headstrap can be replaced with a glasses arm piece, which allows it to be used with an external powerbank for more casual content viewing, like watching a film in your own private theater whilst on a plane or train.

It’s a unique selling point, although the lack of 3.5mm sours this somewhat, as you’ll need to use Bluetooth headphones to watch anything if you want complete privacy in a public space. Still, the focus on every day, on-the-go use sets it apart from Quest Pro. On the flipside, Quest Pro however features both eye and face-tracking out of the box, something Vive XR Elite will gain in the future with the release of separate modules.

SEE ALSO
'Ember Souls' Brings 'Prince of Persia' Style Hack-and-Slash Action to Quest Next Week

Hardware aside, Meta undoubtedly has a leg up with its content ecosystem, as all games designed for Quest 2 automatically support Quest Pro—that’s a lot of content out of the box in addition to the admittedly smallish drip of mixed reality experiences already on the Quest Store.

Meanwhile, HTC is still amassing games for its growing content library, which currently doesn’t boast any truly notable exclusives that might make you choose one headset over the other. Notably, HTC also openly refutes it will sell personal user data since it’s not a social media company—a clear shot across the bow at Meta’s spotty track record in user privacy and security.

The list of differences doesn’t end there. If you want to learn more about Quest Pro and Vive XR Elite, check out our in-depth hands-on articles with both headsets.

Newsletter graphic

This article may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product we may receive a small commission which helps support the publication. More information.


Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • Darshan

    While this move is not surprising, I believe its more backstabbing early buyers. path to correction is Meta should offer $400 as app purchase gift coupon to all existing quest pro buyers as acknowledgement of patronage.

    • Andrey

      They already did – on the other VR news site there is an information that early buyers can contact technical support to get a 400$ discount (not sure if this is a partial refund or a 400$ coupon for buying apps in their store though) until Tuesday if I am not mistaken. Better than nothing I guess? If that’s really true, both Meta and Zuck can have some credit and respect (at least from me) that they haven’t spit in the face of the early adopters/prosumers/enthusiasts who bought Quest Pro just three month ago.

      • Darshan

        Then fine..

      • Darshan

        I think $400 for buying apps from store is perfectly fine. Quest totally have very compelling app lineup. its easy to buy things worth $400 and still not regret an ounce. Apps is real strength of Meta.

      • Dragon Marble

        Where? Can you provide source please?

        • Andrey

          It was a tweet from a “the most famous VR analyst”. I don’t like him (because he is a) a weaboo and b) liar), so I won’t name him. But all recent – and not recent – leaks (about Quest 3 design, etc.) where from him, so I think you should know who I am talking about.

          • Whoawhoawhoa, you’re putting-down SadlyItsBradley …??
            He’s THE most respected insider in the industry.

            Even Ming-Chi Kuo follows him on Twitter, and that’s VERY significant.
            Calling him a “weaboo” is both insulting & vehemently racist.
            His wife is from China, for God’s sake ….

            And when, exactly, did he lie …?
            Y’know what, don’t tell me, as you’ll probably just make it up.
            Brad’s the man, and anybody with two neurons to rub together knows it.

          • Andrey

            Well, I am not a new guy here and I perfectly understand that you are one of the local trolls, just like SoMeOnE else (hello btw, looking forward to your comment as well!). But I still will reply to you, just to get it off my chest, lol.
            Firstly, why did I called him a “liar” – a more than a year ago, when I was still sitting on my old VR hardware, I was looking forward to that year’s Oculus Connect, because there were rumors, that both Quest Pro and Quest 2 Plus will be released right after Connect, just like Quest 2 was. Both Quest Pro and rumored Quest 2 Plus (and also the revision of Quest 2 with slightly another screen if I am not mistaken) looked very temptating to me, so I decided to wait like half a year and purchase a better version instead of the original Quest 2, mostly because it was rumored to include my favourite eye-tracking. When the Connect was over – as you can guess from this point in time – there wasn’t neither Quest 2 Plus, nor Quest Pro release or even infromation about the Q2Plus. Saying I was frustrated is like saying nothing – I was so angry that I went and bought Quest 2.
            Don’t get me wrong – the problem here is not that the rumor wasn’t true – it’s a rumor after all. The problem was all the hype – no, not like that – HYPE – this &^#@$! was creating. And also how he was presenting things in his videos/tweets too – like it was “100500% confirmed”, “it was mentioned in Quest 2 firmware”, all his “viable sources told him that it’s true” and all that crap. Hell, I even remember that he was presenting technical specifications for every “new” headset and I was thinking “He knows THAT much of accurate details, so it should be the truth!”. If it was just a plain article-like rumor like it is on this or any other site, I could live with that just fine and never “hate” a site or a person behind such an article. But when person is trying to be as much convincing as it can be with a BIG wave of hype from every corner and in the end everything turns out to be a lie (and he just continue to play “the most famous and viable VR analyst of all time and space” like all of this never happend)… Well, I think I have a right to not like this person after something like that and do not believe anything he says.
            Secondly, about “weaboo”. Putting aside all the nonsense you wrote (about me being racist, his chinese wife and, especially hilarious because I was predicting that – about my anime avatar, etc.), let me clarify something. There are many types of anime fans and the most “crazy” ones are either otaku (a fanatic with just a vast knowledge of the hobby) and weaboos who run like ninjas in a cosplay on the street during the light of the day (hey b-boss, got the reference?). And the main difference is that a normal otaku – like myself – will never do stupid or offensive things like weaboo do. And your little “idol” did just that. Even if I will explain it you won’t understand – so I won’t. Just accept it as a matter of fact that I think he is a sick person, that’s all.
            So… yeah. You can like, love him or even bear his kids or sleep with the dakimakura of him or something. But I personally hate him and will continue to do just that. And nothing will stop me.

          • In many many MANY ways, you are not a well person.
            However, here is neither the place, nor now the time, to list the reasons why.

          • Kevin Brook

            Haha my thoughts exactly when I tried to read that bizarre posting. I think Brad will be pleased to know that he has no common ground with this otaku.

          • ViRGiN

            you’re clown

          • Kevin Brook

            Brad is one of the most authentic and interesting people in this industry. I don’t think hating on him will get you far on this chat.

            He’s certainly not a liar, predicting the future is not easy, but he’s the most reliable source out there.

          • ViRGiN

            perfect description of that degenerate, but hey, he loves valve, he loves vrchat, so among online basement dwellers, he is popular.

        • Michael Pearson

          They are NOT giving refunds or credit. Just go this from Meta Support:

          “Thank you for contacting Meta Store Support. My name is ________ and I will be very delighted to be of assistance to you.

          I understand that you would like to know what to do with the promo currently going on and I will assist you to the best of my ability.

          However, the promo has just started and you made a purchase back in November which means I will not be able to give you the $400 that you want.

          I know that this may not be what you want to hear, I hate to inform you this.”

          • Dragon Marble

            But are you still in the holiday extended return window? I am definitely out of luck because I bought it in October.

          • Michael Pearson

            According to what SadleyItsBradley posted, I should still be in it. I bough it November 7th:

            To anyone who bought the Quest Pro from Meta direct starting in November 1st until December 31st, there was a holiday extended return policy in effect

    • ViRGiN

      ANYONE who kept quest pro at the price they paid MADE THE CHOICE to think it’s worth the price.

      every single customer had AT LEAST 30 days to play with it at home, test everything AND MAKE A DECISION.

      My decision was to return it. Maybe you want valve index situation, where the price is the same after 4 years? Will that make you feel better?

      • Darshan

        Return it is another way of saying…Thanks but no. it’s not what I expected it to be when spent for it.

        • ViRGiN

          And that’s one of customer rights when distance buying.

  • Kevin Brook

    You heard wrong. It’s truly a fantastic headset for PCVR gaming, its lenses have rendered every Fresnel based headset obselete. It’s pretty mediocre as a mixed reality headset though, the business usecase is a joke, and the new hardware features such as eye tracking and face tracking have virtually no practical usecases at present though.

    But if all you want is the best PCVR headset right now and have a decent PC to power it (I have a 13900k, 4090) then it makes my other headsets (Quest 2, Vive Pro 2, Reverb G2) look like trash.

    Is it worth buying for most people? Probably not, especially as the Quest 3 will be out in a few months, and the Pcio 4 has pretty decent pancake lenses itself. For those who want good battery life and play wireless PCVR HTC’s XR Elite might be a great option as well.

    But as someone who has owned most of the best headsets and is only interested in the topend the Quest Pro is the best all around PCVR headset you can buy right now. It’s like going from an old CRT television to LCD.

    • DanClintwood

      Kevin is on point… Pancake lenses alone are worth $100-200 upgrade. The comfort factor and centered weight is worth another $100 and the new controllers are worth a $50-100. Add that all up and you start to get close… the fact PCVR headsets are mostly inferior across all these dimensions and Quest Pro can plug into a PC for Steam games and the price is very competitive.

      • Kevin Brook

        Yes, then add all the additional sensor for eye tracking, face tracking and the mixed reality passthrough, plus the charging dock and the fact that the Quest 2 is heavily subsidised and this isn’t and the cost starts to make sense.

        I would agree that it’s not worth buying for most, the face and eye tracking have very little use at present and the gen 1 XR2 chip still being used hurts its passthrough and standalone performace, but if money isn’t a concern it’s a fantastic buy. For PCVR I cannot use anything else now.

  • philingreat

    Eye tracking for the HTC Vive alone is $250, plus face tracking $150 plus controllers with cameras. Compare the Quest Pro to the MeganeX, a PC VR Headset for $1700

    • Kevin Brook

      I’m 99 percent certain the MeganeX will not release. It looks to be an absolute disaster imo, and Panasonic will step in before long, thank Shitfall for their time but say they have decided not to release a headset at this time.

  • ViRGiN

    dude you can’t even afford a quest pro, shut the fuk up and keep saving for your imaginary valve dickard.

  • Mike

    Wait a minute. What about Europe, where this thing is the most expensive at 1799 EUR (1955 USD) ???