Meta has always been a bit enigmatic when it comes to sharing detailed sales figures for their headsets. Still, we have a few indicators to measure the platform’s popularity, and one is the fresh downloads of its companion app, Meta Horizon, available on Android and iOS devices.
According to independent analyst Omdia, as reported by Game Developer and Forbes, downloads of the Meta Horizon app took a noticeable dip, dropping 27% on Christmas Day 2024 compared to the same day in 2023. This day is traditionally the peak for app downloads each year.
The insights from Omdia and Sensor Tower also highlight key events in the journey of Meta’s Quest series. This includes the launch of Quest 2 in October 2020, its impressive sales record the following year, the release of Quest 3 in October 2023, and the introduction of Quest 3S in October 2024.
Here’s a quick note: The Quest 3S, Meta’s newest mixed reality headset, is equipped with Quest 3’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset and colorful mixed reality capabilities but sticks with Quest 2’s older displays and bulkier Fresnel lenses. If your budget is around $300, it’s an excellent choice, although opting for the Quest 3 at $500 might be wiser if you can stretch your budget.
But that’s not the whole picture. The chart doesn’t include re-downloads, app updates, or instances where a user installs the app on a new or additional device linked to an existing account. It also misses instances where users upgrade their headsets, say from a Quest 2 to a Quest 3S.
Game Developer also points out other factors that complicate linking app downloads directly to headset sales, such as second-hand sales, headset sharing, or non-owners downloading the app just to browse the app store.
In the absence of official data, third-party retailers provide some clues. Game Developer, tapping into Amazon product page data, states that Meta sold over 160,000 Quest headsets in November 2024 across eight countries, indicating a 16% year-over-year decline in sales on Amazon. Of these, two-thirds were Quest 3S units, while the rest were Quest 3.
Interestingly, despite the dip, the Quest 3S emerged as the top-selling console on Amazon US for 2024, surpassing popular options like the Switch, PlayStation 5 Pro, and the latest Xbox Series S and X.
However, the drop in both app downloads and yearly Amazon sales suggests that the excitement seen during the Quest 2 era might be tapering off. Back when Quest 2 launched, Meta managed to double, even triple, app downloads during the initial holiday period.
Time will reveal how much momentum Meta can sustain behind the Quest 3 and Quest 3S, not to mention the impact of potential big, possibly exclusive, game launches leading up to the holiday season. To boost Quest 3S sales, Meta has slashed the price of their 256GB model by $50, bringing it to $350, alongside including a free copy of the acclaimed “Batman: Arkham Shadow” and a three-month trial of Quest+, their game subscription service.
Whether these trends reflect a stabilization in the VR market or a shift in consumer focus remains debatable. Nonetheless, Meta’s Quest series continues to dominate the consumer VR scene. Could that change soon? Google probably hopes so.
