Meta Announces Quest 3 Interest-Free Payment Plan for $25/Month. Is This Deal Worth It?

If you’re on the fence about jumping into the world of virtual reality (VR), Meta has a new deal that might tempt you. But be warned, it’s not the best option for everyone.

Yesterday’s Meta announced a new “Play Now, Pay Later” plan. For $24.99 per month for 24 months at 0% interest, you can get Meta Quest 3 Headset with 128GB of storage, a two-year subscription to Meta Quest+, which offers the same game library as Xbox Game Card or PlayStation Plus and the extended Meta Warranty Plus warranty for your new device.

Pay $10 more per month to get the 512GB version.

Also: Meta Quest 3 Review: The VR Headset Most People Should Buy in 2024

The payment plan is powered by Affirm, a popular “buy now, pay later” service that is popping up all over the internet, and requires approval. “If approved, you’ll spend less than if you bought each item individually,” Meta says.

Unfortunately, that’s not always true. I went through the process of adding two different packages to my cart. Here’s how the numbers break down.

With everything included, the 128GB headset costs $599.76. The headset alone costs $500, the warranty is $40, and the Meta+ subscription is $192. Meta says that’s a savings of $131.98, but that’s not entirely accurate because that Quest+ subscription estimate is for the $7.99-a-month plan. You can pay that price, but there’s also the option to pay $60 a year. Since you’re getting a two-year subscription, it’s more fair to estimate that price at $120 instead of $192.

If you bought a two-year Quest+ subscription, a 128GB Quest 3 headset, and an extended warranty, you’d pay $660, so Meta’s new interest-free plan saves you $60.

For the 512GB headset, however, the numbers look different. The Meta’s all-inclusive price is $840. Add together the $650 headset, $120 Quest+ subscription, and $50 warranty, and you’re looking at $820. That means it’s cheaper to buy each component separately if you want a headset with more storage.

With any headset, you have 30 days to change your mind if you don’t like it.

Also: Who’s Afraid of VR? I Was – Until I Tried Meta Quest 3

Is this deal worth it?

With the 128GB plan, you save $60, which is nice. The real selling point, though, is paying for it over two years without interest. If you’re interested in the 512GB plan, this deal won’t save you any money, but it will let you pay in installments.

If you just want the headset and the 128GB game subscription separately, you’ll pay $620, which means you’ll save $20, and you’ll also get a free warranty. If you’re only interested in the headset and the warranty without the subscription, you’ll pay $540, which means you won’t save any money.

For the 512GB headset, pairing the headset and subscription or pairing the headset and warranty will be cheaper than the three-pack, which won’t save you money anyway.

Also: Why I Returned My Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 for These XR Glasses

Apple Pro Vision has sparked renewed interest in VR for many, and Meta’s new deal looks like it’s trying to capitalize on that by making it easier to buy a device that costs a fraction of the price.

If price is still a barrier for you, there is a Meta Quest 3S Rumors A more affordable version of the headphones with a simpler design is coming soon.