Looking to buy an Oculus Quest? You'll have better luck in February

Kevin Wheeler | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption The best in virtual reality headsets Tech columnist Jennifer Jolly breaks down the best virtual reality headsets in time for the holidays.

If you’re looking for an Oculus Quest this holiday season, good luck finding one.

Unless you’re willing to pay top dollar, that is.

The popular VR headset from Oculus normally sells for $399 (128 gigabyte version) or $499 (124 GB version) at retailers like Best Buy and Walmart. But many brick-and-mortar stores are running out of the headset, and the secondary market is taking notice, with Quest prices up around the $700 mark on Amazon and eBay.

For some shoppers, buying a Quest has been a great undertaking.

Carrisa Nazario's 12-year-old son told her two weeks into December that he wanted a Quest for Christmas.

Unable to find one in a local store after two days of "work," Nazario, of Joshua Tree, California, said she joined two Oculus Facebook groups and downloaded an inventory-monitoring app called The Tracker to help stay on top of newly available Quests.

Nazario was able to order a Quest from Best Buy, Walmart and Amazon, but they were not set to arrive until mid-January. She canceled the Best Buy and Walmart order when she got a notification that the Quest shipping from Amazon would arrive by Christmas.

Since finding a Quest on Amazon for its original list price, Nazario said she has kept in contact with members of the Oculus Quest Community Facebook group, offering advice on how to get one. Her top tip: stay alert, and pay attention to notifications from The Tracker app, even at 2 a.m.

"Other members are asking me, 'How'd you get it for only $400 on Amazon?'" Nazario said. "I guess I just got lucky when the world was sleeping."

Oculus Quest review: Cable free $399 VR headset is a winner that ditches PC and phone

Oculus Quest games: Download these five video games for the new virtual reality headset

Oculus released its Quest headset back in May, quickly selling out at major retailers, and demand has been high ever since. Current orders for new Quests are on back order until Feb. 10.

Unlike its predecessor, the Rift, the Oculus Quest has seen higher demand because it is more user-accessible, according to Michael Pachter, a media and electronic analyst at Wedbush Securities.

"The Rift never was particularly popular because the system specs were so high, the price was high, there was limited software available, and the system was tethered with a long cord," Pachter said. "The Quest is untethered, is reasonably priced, and there is a lot more software, so a higher level of interest is warranted and was frankly expected."

Nazario said she almost regrets canceling the other orders for Quests, because she might want one for herself. For now, she said the one coming for Christmas will offer a good way to spend time with her family.

"I think we're going to have fun with it," Nazario said.