Amazon Prime Day 2022 deals guide: VR and 360 cameras (UPDATE! Quest 2 and more)

Amazon Prime Day 2022 officially starts tomorrow but there are already some Prime Day sales not just at Amazon but at other retailers who don’t want to be undersold by Amazon.  Here are the best deals I’ve found so far for 360 cameras, VR, and related accessories, and which ones I recommend.  I’m going to update this list as more deals are announced for Prime Day.

VR

Best VR headset: Meta Quest 2 with FREE $25 Amazon gift card! $299 for 128GB or $399 for 256GB

Meta Quest 2 (formerly Oculus Quest 2) is on sale on Prime Day!  Purchase either the 128GB or 256GB version and get a free $25 Amazon gift card!  Here’s my review of Quest 2.

Budget VR: Meta Quest 2 refurbished – save $50 on brand new $249 for 128GB or $349 for 256GB

If you want the lowest cost Meta Quest 2, you can get a refurbished version, which will save you $50, but does not come with a $25 gift card, so the net difference will be $25.

Affordable VR-ready graphics card: GTX 1650 Super — $199 versus $239

If you want to take your VR gaming to the next level with desktop VR, here’s one of the most affordable VR-ready graphics cards, the EVGA GTX 1650 Super at $199.  It is one of the few VR-ready graphics cards that does not need a power cable (which means you’ll probably be able to use your current power supply) and costs hundreds less than other VR-ready graphics cards.

High end VR-ready graphics card: RTX 3080 Ti  $1050 versus $1250 MSRP

If you want a high-end VR graphics card, you can now get the RTX 3080 Ti for far less than the price just a few months ago.  The Zotac RTX 3080 Ti Trinity OC card is available for $1050, compared with $1999 as recently as March 2022.

360 cameras

Top of the line: Insta360 One R 1-inch 360 edition ($799 with FREE selfie stick).

If you want the latest and greatest 360 camera, this is it.  The 1-inch 360 has two 1-inch sensors, each paired with Leica lenses.  It has the best video quality among 360 cameras under $2000, with best-in-class detail and low light performance.  Another important feature is that it is based on the upgradeable One RS, which means that you can add future lens modules as they become available, improving the lifespan of your investment.

You can either get the full version or if you already have the One R, you can get the upgrade version, which can work with your One R Core.  There is no Prime Day discount because it was released just a few weeks ago, but if you use my link, you can get a free invisible selfie stick.  You can see my review here.

Most Convenient: Insta360 One X2: $387 at Amazon or $387 plus FREE accessory at Insta360 — versus $429 MSRP).

If your priority is convenience, you may be interested in the Insta360 One X2, one of the most popular 360 cameras.  Even though its image quality is not as high as that of the 1-inch 360, it is still very capable in its own right.  It is also lighter, more compact, and waterproof, making it a more convenient 360 camera.  You can see my One X2 review here.  It’s available at $387 at Amazon or you can get it for that price plus a free accessory at Insta360.

Affordable versatility: Insta360 One RS Twin Edition $519 plus FREE extra battery at Insta360 — versus $549 MSRP.

Insta360 One RS is the 2nd generation of the R series, a modular action cam that can convert from a 360 camera to a 6K action cam.  In addition to its versatility, a key feature of the RS series is that it is upgradeable.  For example, you could use the previous R series Core module with the new 6K-capable 4K boost mod, or the 1-inch 360 module (see above).  This upgradeability will help increase the longevity of your camera.  Check out my One RS review here.

Most affordable quality: Insta360 One X ($299 — $100 savings from $399 MSRP).

If you want the most affordable decent quality 360 camera, check out the Insta360 One X.  It has a similar sensor to the Insta360 One X2 and One R and therefore has similar photo and video quality at a much lower price.  Compared to the One X2, it is not waterproof, doesn’t have a touchscreen, and cannot use many of the newer video effects called Shot Labs.  However, it is still user friendly and has the best 360 video quality under $300.

Budget 360 camera: Qoocam FUN $99 — $70 off versus $169 MSRP

If you want to get a 360 camera for under $100, get the Qoocam Fun, a 360 camera for Android phones.  It captures videos at 4K resolution with decent stabilization and image quality that can’t be matched for this price.  It can even do 360 video calls (even if your friend doesn’t have a Qoocam Fun).  Please note that Qoocam Fun requires an Android phone with a USB Type C port.

Professional 8K 3D 360 camera: Insta360 Pro 2 ($4499 plus FREE accessories – $500 off $4999 MSRP)

Insta360 Pro 2 is an 8K 3D 360 camera.  It is used not just by video professionals but also for Google Street View.  It is one of the few 8K 3D 360 cameras that have built-in stabilization and has one of the most convenient workflows among professional 360 cameras in its class.  For the Prime Day sale, you can get $500 off and a free extra battery and free extra charger.  Here’s a review.

360 camera accessories

Super-fast Micro SD card: NEW Sandisk Extreme with QuickFlow (25% off 256GB or 12% off 128GB)

Sandisk Extreme has been updated with QuickFlow, which boosts the read speed to 190 mbps, which is even faster than the Sandisk Extreme Pro at 170 mbps — for a lower price!

World’s smallest HD action camera: Insta360 Go 2 ($255 — $45 savings from $299 MSRP)

The thumb-sized Insta360 Go 2 is the world’s smallest action cam with 2.7K video and 360 horizon leveling.   Because of its compact size and amazing stabilization, it is very popular among vloggers and FPV pilots.  This is the best deal I’ve seen to date for the Go 2. Check out my here.

Best aerial 360 photos: Mavic 3 ($2049 – $150 savings from $2199 MSRP).

If you want to capture high quality aerial 360 photos, check out the DJI Mavic 3, which uses a Micro Four Thirds size sensor.   It is on currently on sale for $2049, a discount of $150 from the original $2199 price.  You can check out my review of the Mavic 3 here, along with sample aerial 360 photos.