Meta’s AI spending spree is helping make its Quest headsets more expensive
The rising costs of RAM and other computing components are pushing up the price of Meta’s Quest VR headsets. The company announced that prices will increase by $50–$100 (about 12–20 percent) starting on April 19, citing “the global surge in the price of critical components—specifically memory chips—which is impacting almost every category of consumer electronics, including VR.”
However, unlike many tech companies that have been pushed into similar price increases due to ongoing RAM shortages, Meta’s own spending priorities are at least partly responsible for these rising component costs. The company has recently pivoted its investment towards the “AI superintelligence” race, a move that is now contributing to conditions making its own Quest headsets more expensive.
Spending like a drunk sailor
In January, Meta announced plans to spend $115 billion to $135 billion on capital expenditures this year. This significant increase from $72 billion in 2025 and just $28 billion as recently as 2023 is predominantly allocated towards AI infrastructure. This includes a recent $21 billion investment in data center company CoreWeave (in addition to the $14.2 billion originally committed) and an additional $10 billion recently committed to a planned El Paso data center, up from $1.5 billion initially.
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– Meta’s recent shift to the “AI superintelligence” race is contributing to rising component costs.
– The company plans to spend up to $135 billion on AI infrastructure this year.
– This investment includes a significant commitment of $21 billion in CoreWeave and an additional $10 billion for a data center in El Paso.
Originally published at arstechnica.com. Curated by AI Maestro.
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