Meta Shares New Stats on VR Engagement and the Future of the Metaverse

While I do think that Meta went early with its metaverse-inspired rebrand, which has negatively impacted the perception of its next-level initiatives, there are growing signs that the metaverse is coming, and that Meta will be the leader in the next stage of digital connection.Over the past year, sales of Meta’s Reality Labs products, including Quest VR headsets and Ray Ban Meta glasses, have grown, with Q4 delivering record sales numbers for the business unit.And now, Meta’s preparing for its next push, with its VP of Metaverse Content Samantha Ryan outlining a new approach to VR and AR developers that aligns with this shift.“A broader range of people are buying Quests, and this expansion has changed some of the tenets of our ecosystem that were previously taken for granted. It has also created important new opportunities for developers and creators.”According to Ryan, Quest device sales increased in 2024, and people spent more time on average in Quest 3S devices than any other headset at launch.And that’s not all. The data also shows that the majority of new device sales in 2024 were people getting their first Quest headset, while users, overall, are now spending more time using the device.

Meta’s VR user base

Young users are a key focus within this shift, with younger audiences making up a growing share of Meta’s VR user base. As a result, Ryan notes that Meta’s focused on building a social-first platform, where these users can play games with friends, and/or engage in social hangouts.Which is where external developers come in, and also where Meta’s now seeing some friction. In order to facilitate broader VR development, Meta’s looking to enhance its tools for developers, and improve its offerings that will facilitate expanded creation, in order to capitalize on this interest.Though some reports suggest that VR developers are not entirely happy with Meta’s approach, noting that it’s putting too much focus on its Horizon Worlds social VR experience over other projects, and often prioritizing its Horizon elements over external offerings.