So you just bought a new Oculus Quest 2 standalone virtual reality (VR) headset. Congrats! The Quest 2 is an awesome way to experience immersive VR gaming and entertainment right out of the box with no PC or wires required.
With over 15 million headsets sold, the Quest 2 dominates the consumer VR market. Its innovative design, wireless freedom, and affordable $299-$399 price range have made it a hit for casual and hardcore gamers alike.
But did you know there are several sweet ways to score $50 in free Oculus store credit for apps, games, and more on your new toy? Keep reading, I‘ll break down the deets.
What is the Oculus Quest 2? A Quick Intro
For those new to VR, let‘s start with a quick overview of the Oculus Quest 2. This handy wireless headset launched in 2020 and is the second generation of the original Oculus Quest.
The Quest 2 offers a self-contained VR experience right out of the box, with everything built right into the headset. There‘s no need for an expensive gaming PC or setting up external sensors around your room. Just strap on the headset and you‘re immersed in amazing virtual worlds.
It delivers high-resolution graphics and 6DOF (six degrees of freedom) motion tracking thanks to onboard sensors. There are two versions available:
- 128GB model – $299
- 258GB model – $399
The headset comes with two wireless touch controllers for interacting with VR environments and menus. An online Oculus store offers a huge library of VR apps, games, videos and more to enjoy.
Popular titles like Beat Saber, SUPERHOT VR, Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator showcase the fun and immersive experiences the Quest 2 enables. No wonder people are gobbling it up!
Limited Time Promotions
Now onto the good stuff – scoring free store credit with your Quest 2 purchase.
Oculus frequently runs time-limited promotions where you can get $50 in Oculus store credit when you buy a new Quest 2 headset.
For example, during Amazon Prime Day 2022 in July, purchasing a 128GB or 256GB Quest 2 from Amazon included a $50 Amazon gift card. Not an Oculus credit, but free money to use however you want!
Over the 2021 holiday season, buying directly from the Oculus website offered a limited-time code OCULUS50 to redeem $50 in Oculus store credit during checkout.
And just this August during back-to-school sales, various retailers like Amazon and BestBuy bundled a free $50 Oculus promo code with new Quest 2 purchases.
According to consumer psychologists, these free credit incentives make the headset seem more valuable and drive sales. The $50 credit helps anchor the price in people‘s minds closer to $249 or $349 rather than full retail. Pretty sneaky!
Oculus hasn‘t announced the next promo timeframe yet, but they often run special offers around the holidays and Amazon Prime Day. Following Oculus social media or signing up for their newsletter can help you stay in the loop.
Or you can check out sites like Slickdeals and Setup Deal Alerts for "Oculus Quest 2" so any new deals get sent straight to your inbox. Act fast though, these time-limited free credits go quickly!
Refer and Earn Rewards
In addition to sporadic promotions, Meta offers more consistent Oculus store credit rewards for referring friends and family to buy a new Quest 2.
For example, under a recent referral program, both the referrer and referee got $30 in credit when a referred new user activated their headset!
The referee basically gets the headset $30 off, while the referrer builds up credit to use on apps and games. Each referrer was limited to $60 in earnings per month, or up to $720 per year.
Occasional contests for mega-referrers with the most conversions offered huge prizes like a fan who won $10,000 in credit. That‘s a LOT of free VR games!
Referral programs are win-win for everyone:
- Referrers score free credit
- Referees save money upfront
- Meta sells more headsets
Studies show consumers have a 304% higher conversion rate when referred by a friend. So you‘re doing your bud a solid by referring them to enjoy the magic of VR!
Next time Oculus announces a referral program, take advantage! Spread the word on social media, text friends you know would dig VR, and share your referral link. Just make sure to read the terms so you get credit properly applied when your people activate their new gadgets.
Other Ways to Earn Oculus Credit
Beyond special promotions and referrals, there are a few other creative ways to earn free Oculus store credit:
Oculus Research Studies
Oculus frequently runs research studies to test new VR hardware, software, comfort settings, and more. As a participant, you can earn up to $50 in Oculus credit per hour-long study.
Sessions are done remotely from your home. All you need is a Quest 2 and PC. You‘ll provide feedback through surveys, interviews, or focus groups.
Studies help Oculus make improvements so we get better VR experiences! And you get paid in sweet, sweet Oculus credit. Just don‘t spend it all in one place.
Contests and Giveaways
Keep an eye out for Oculus credit giveaways on forums, Reddit, Twitter, and VR websites. Users and websites will sometimes offer credit codes as prizes for contests, caption contests, scavenger hunts, etc.
For example, uploadVR.com gave away $100 in credit codes to randomly selected newsletter subscribers. Or Redditors do challenges like "most creative VR screenshot wins $20 credit code". Fun!
Microsoft Rewards
If you use Microsoft products, check if Microsoft Rewards is available in your region. You can earn points by using Bing, playing GamePass games, completing quizzes/polls and more.
Redeem points for Xbox/Oculus gift cards! Slow and steady credit earning.
VR Studies
Participate in VR-related studies run by universities, researchers, and market research firms. Sessions may involve testing new VR prototypes, sampling unreleased games, or surveys about your VR usage.
Often you can select gift card payment options like Amazon or Oculus credit. Rates vary but $50/hour is common. Discover Studies lets you find ones you qualify for.
Save on Oculus Games & Apps
If no free credits available, don‘t worry! There are still plenty of ways to save money and stretch your Oculus budget:
Watch for Oculus store sales – discounts up to 50% off are common. Hot titles go on sale every 2-3 months usually.
Buy bundled packs like the Shooter Pack with SUPERHOT, Space Pirate Trainer, and Crisis Brigade 2 for nearly half off. More bang for your buck!
Sort by Price in the Oculus Store and grab quality freebies like Rec Room, Facebook Horizon, Bait!, and Tea for God. Tons to enjoy at no cost!
Check the App Lab section for unpaid or low-cost early access experiences that didn‘t make the main store yet. Some real hidden gems.
Use a site like gg.deals to track VR game prices across stores and snag deals. Their Quest section lets you sort by price and see price history.
Only buy games you really want to play now rather than stocking up. Add others to your Wish List and grab them when discounted later.
Maximize Your Free Credit
Once you score that sweet free $50 in Oculus credit, make it count! Here are some tips:
Buy must-have paid titles you‘ve been itching to play like Beat Saber, Job Simulator, etc. Flagship VR experiences you‘ll come back to again and again.
Grab multiplayer games you can enjoy with friends who also have Quest 2‘s like Walkabout Mini Golf, Cook-Out, and TribeXR DJ School.
Stock up on paid DLC for free games like Rec Room cosmetics. Costumes, pets, accessories let you stand out.
Expand your workout library with Supernatural, FitXR, or Les Mills. Hot new tracks motivate you to move.
Treat yo‘self to some immersive music apps like MelodyVR or The Wave VR. VIP concert views without the hangover!
Upgrade your comfort with accessory add-ons like the Elite Headstrap with Battery, VR Cover facial interfaces, controller grips, and headphones.
Indulge your inner creative with art and animation tools like Gravity Sketch, Tvori, Painting VR, or AnimVR. Limitless imagination possibilities!
See – plenty of awesome ways to leverage promotional credits and discounts into VR awesomeness. Just a little strategizing lets you maximize your Oculus spending power.
Wrap Up
I hope these tips help you unlock the full potential of your Oculus Quest 2 with free games, apps, and accessories!
Special promotions, referral programs, giveaways, research studies, sales – jump at any opportunity to score free Oculus store credit or VR content savings.
Chasing deals takes a little time and effort, but the payoff of extra apps and games is so worth it. Before you know it, you‘ll have built an epic wireless VR library without breaking the bank!
Let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy your new Oculus Quest 2! VR lets you explore worlds limited only by imagination.