Nikkei Asia has reportedly disassembled Meta Quest Pro for determining the approximate cost of its components. The analysis was performed by Tokyo-based technology lab Fomalhaut Techno Solutions specialized in BOM analysis and reverse engineering.
Following a teardown, the team estimated the total cost of components at USD 443. When compared to Meta Quest 2 (valued at USD 182), this accounted for 2.4 times.
The material cost is usually dependent on the ordered quantity. The production of more components would lead to a lowered price and vice versa. The assumed quantities are not clear from the Nikkei Asia report.
This total does not include the assembling cost. As estimated by an iFixit teardown technician, the cost factor is quite high owing to the complexity of the unit.
Additional costs are incurred for other factors such as logistics and packaging. Therefore, the overall cost of selling and manufacturing the Meta Quest Pro will be higher. Furthermore, the costs of research and development associated with the device have not been included.
For the record, the Meta Quest Pro was rolled out at a price of USD 1,500 in October 2022. In early March, the company decreased the device price to USD 1,000, following weak demand.
The Nikkei Asia report contains other interesting information such as the dependence of Meta on Chinese manufacturers and material cost distribution by the manufacturing country.
In case of the Meta Quest Pro, Chinese components make up 18 percent of the overall component cost. This is 14 percent greater compared to Meta Quest 2.
In general, Meta is in efforts to decrease its dependence on Chinese manufacturers, relying mostly on semiconductors manufactured in the U.S. This leads to about 30 percent higher cost of manufacturing these components. This cost is reflected in the product’s selling price.
