June 28, 2024 –Meta’s cutting-edge mixed reality headset, the Quest 3, has seemingly surpassed a significant milestone with estimated sales exceeding one million units. This figure is extrapolated from the number of users who have completed the pre-installed game, “First Encounters,” which serves as a crucial part of the device’s initial setup process and is exclusive to the Quest 3.
Upon configuring their Quest 3, players are automatically immersed in “First Encounters,” a game that harnesses the headset’s spatial scanning capabilities to simulate a spaceship crash through their virtual ceiling, scattering debris across the floor or tables of their real-world surroundings. Players must fend off invading creatures with shooting mechanics, with their final scores contributing to Meta’s leaderboard system.
Daven Bigelow, a software developer, has diligently monitored the leaderboard data, with the count of “participants” reflecting those who have completed this introductory experience. This tally has now surpassed the one million mark, offering a rough indication of Quest 3 sales.
It’s crucial to note that this figure might not be entirely precise. Users have the option to skip “First Encounters” or discontinue their playthrough at any point. Moreover, the statistics might not account for users who have set their profiles to private, potentially understating the actual sales figure. Should these private users be included, the true number of Quest 3 units sold could far exceed one million.
Meta’s VR ambitions are further underscored by internal roadmap leaks from last March, where Meta VR’s Vice President, Mark Rabkin, revealed that the company had sold close to 20 million Quest headsets. This figure was echoed by an internal meeting leak three months later, where Mark Zuckerberg informed employees that the Quest series had surpassed tens of millions in sales. Notably, the majority of these 20 million headsets, as of last summer, were Quest 2 devices, as highlighted by Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth in July 2021.
In contrast, the Quest 3, launched just eight months ago, has only recently breached the million-unit sales mark, paling in comparison to the Quest 2’s three-year accumulation. However, this disparity is not unexpected, given the Quest 2’s price advantage over its predecessor and its continued availability at a lower cost point. Since March this year, the Quest 2 has been priced at 200,whiletheQuest3retailsfor500, a $200 premium. This pricing strategy is reflected in Amazon sales data, where the Quest 2 remains more popular, with VR developers reporting a significant proportion of new users opting for the earlier model.
Meta appears cognizant of these pricing concerns and is reportedly devising strategies to address them. Over the past 16 months, ample evidence suggests that the company is preparing a more affordable alternative to the Quest 3, intended to succeed the Quest 2. This was hinted at in March’s roadmap leak and further corroborated by the listing of “Meta Quest 3S” on the official store, a name previously seen in leaked design documents. Adding fuel to the fire, Meta’s CTO inadvertently showcased a suspected prototype of this new headset in a recent video.
If rumors hold true, and Meta manages to maintain the Qualcomm XR2 Gen 2 chip and mixed reality functionalities while pricing the Quest 3S around $300, this headset could potentially outsell the Quest 3, expanding the mixed reality market and offering developers a platform more powerful than the Quest 2.
