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Between high demand and manufacturing interruptions due to the Coronavirus, Oculus Quest and Rift S have been in extremely short supply, often commanding a 150% price premiums (or more) in aftermarket sales. Those looking to pick up an Oculus headset may not have to wait too much longer; a global stock check by Road to VR appears to indicate that stock for Oculus headsets is slowly returning.
We checked stock availability for direct purchases from Oculus.com for Quest (64GB), Quest (128GB), and Rift S across all regions where the headsets are sold. The latest shows that Oculus expects to ship new orders of Quest headsets in most countries within one week or less, and in some countries like Australia and New Zealand, within just a day. While the Rift S sees some regional near-term availability, it’s still unavailable in the bulk of countries where sold.
The reason for the disparity between the availability of Quest and Rift S isn’t clear at this time, but we’d guess that it’s related to the fact that Quest is manufactured by Oculus while Rift S is manufactured by Lenovo. It may also have to do with Facebook prioritizing Quest production given especially strong demand for the headset.
Stock for direct purchases from Oculus seems to be returning more quickly than at retailers. In the US, Quest and Rift S remain sold out at all official retailers (though some like Amazon are offering the headsets from sellers charging considerably more than the MSRP).
Whether or not the latest availability represents just a small batch of headsets and a mere ‘blip’ in the overall picture, or a broader trend of availability going forward, isn’t yet clear.
Since Facebook announced back in early February that it expected the Coronavirus to impact the availability of its headsets, the company hasn’t provided any update on the situation, but we’ve reached out for comment. Shortages prompted the company to begin selling refurbished versions of the original Oculus Rift headset which it had discontinued the year prior.
According to the New York Times, China—where Oculus headsets are manufactured—has been steadily reopening its factories. “By some measures, China’s economy is getting back on track. By the end of February, most of its factories and mines had reopened, according to a variety of data, cranking out everything from steel to cellphones at a blistering pace through March. Industrial output rebounded to a near-record level,” reports Keith Bradsher, the publication’s Shanghai bureau chief.
Availability of Valve’s Index headset has also been substantially impacted by the Coronavirus, with new orders backordered by eight weeks or more across the board.
Thanks to Daniel for the tip on new headset stock!
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