Meta Considers Free-to-Play Model Amid Surge of New Quest Users

Meta’s journey into the metaverse is experiencing a whirlwind of changes, largely thanks to younger audiences and everyday consumers shaping the Quest platform throughout 2024. Samantha Ryan, the VP of Metaverse Content, expects this evolution might boost the prominence of free-to-play content.

In her latest blog post aimed at developers, Ryan unpacked how user behavior has transformed over the past year, revealing a surge in users completely new to Quest.

“Compared to the previous year, 2024 saw a noteworthy increase in device sales,” Ryan explained. “More users are spending extended periods on Quest 3S devices than any other headset upon their initial release. Additionally, there’s been an uptick in financial activity on Quest devices, with the total payment volume up by 12% in 2024, largely fueled by a rise in in-app purchases.”

Free-to-play games hinge heavily on these in-app purchases, as demonstrated by the massive success of Another Axiom’s VR sensation, Gorilla Tag (2022), which raked in over $100 million in gross revenue last summer, mainly from cosmetic buys within the game.

“We’re crafting a platform centered around social interactions,” Ryan added. “Younger users, in particular, tend to engage with friends through multiplayer games and social hangout apps. This trend contributes to the popularity of free-to-play titles, similar to what we’ve seen on other platforms. Moreover, there’s a noticeable increase in younger users on Horizon Worlds.”

Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth, emphasized the significance of Meta’s cross-compatible social platform, noting in a leaked memo that the mobile phone version of Horizon Worlds is crucial for achieving the company’s long-term goals.

“We foresee free-to-play (F2P) becoming a significantly viable strategy for developers, who have typically depended on premium apps. However, we believe F2P is unlikely to overshadow premium apps entirely — both can coexist,” Ryan said.

Despite the rise of free-to-play, Ryan reassured that dedicated VR enthusiasts who crave top-tier premium content continue to form the bedrock of this expanding ecosystem. The introduction of Quest 3 and Quest 3S has been propelled by existing Quest users upgrading their devices — they account for 27% and 20% of the respective user bases.

Interestingly, Ryan pointed out that most of the new devices in 2024 went to individuals new to Quest rather than enthusiasts upgrading their hardware. “The traditional image of VR enthusiasts no longer fully captures our Quest user base,” Ryan noted.

On the topic of traditional media and entertainment, Ryan mentioned that despite a historical lack of engagement, 2D apps and browsers on Quest devices are gaining traction.

“There’s been a rise in 2D app usage since the launch of Quest 3. We’ve been rolling out system improvements such as multitasking, theater mode, and immersive audio to cater to this growing user segment,” Ryan shared. In 2024, Quest users witnessed a 10% boost in their monthly media app usage and a 21% increase in using the default Internet browser on headsets.

Recent trends at Meta reveal that Quest is at a pivotal point. The company is balancing between meeting premium content expectations of early adopters while capitalizing on the revenue potential of free-to-play, socially-driven content. Even so, it’s uncertain how heavily Meta will lean on in-app spending to keep its developer ecosystem thriving, as it might lead to an approach focused primarily on maximizing engagement. For now, Meta’s challenge is to leverage this growth without alienating the diverse spectrum of its user base.