Meta Envisions Free-to-Play Future Amid Surge of New Quest Users

Meta’s vision for the metaverse is evolving at a remarkable pace, with younger audiences and mainstream users reshaping the Quest platform in 2024. This change is driving an upswing in free-to-play content, as noted by Samantha Ryan, VP of Metaverse Content.

In a recent blog post aimed at developers, Ryan highlighted notable shifts in user behavior over the past year, primarily fueled by newcomers to the Quest ecosystem. “Compared to the previous year, 2024 saw a rise in device sales and people are now spending more time on Quest 3S devices than any other headset at launch,” Ryan explained. “There was also a surge in spending across Quest platforms, with total payment volume up by 12%, thanks largely to an impressive growth in in-app purchases.”

These in-app purchases are the lifeblood of free-to-play games. For instance, Another Axiom’s popular VR game, Gorilla Tag, reached a milestone of $100 million in gross revenue by last summer, mostly through in-game cosmetic sales.

Ryan elaborated on this trend, saying, “We’re crafting a social-first platform, and younger users tend to engage more in multiplayer experiences and social apps with friends. This shift is boosting the popularity of free-to-play titles, a trend seen on many other platforms. There’s also a noticeable increase in younger users engaging with Horizon Worlds.”

Moreover, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth underscored the importance of their cross-compatible social platform. In a memo that recently came to light, he emphasized that the mobile version of Horizon Worlds is crucial for their long-term strategy to succeed.

Ryan added, “We foresee free-to-play (F2P) becoming a sustainable strategy for developers, who have traditionally relied heavily on premium apps. However, we believe that both F2P and premium apps will coexist rather than one overshadowing the other.”

However, the dedicated group of VR enthusiasts who demand premium, high-quality content “continues to be a cornerstone of this expanding ecosystem.” These long-time Quest users drove a wave of upgrades, with them making up 27% of Quest 3 and 20% of Quest 3S purchases over the year.

Ryan also pointed out that the majority of the new devices sold in 2024 weren’t to these loyal upgraders but rather to people who are completely new to the Quest experience. “The typical traits of VR enthusiasts don’t fully capture our user base anymore,” Ryan noted.

When it comes to traditional media and entertainment consumption, Ryan shared that 2D apps and browsers have historically seen low engagement on Quest devices, though this has been picking up in recent times. “Since the launch of Quest 3, there’s been increased use of 2D apps,” she said. “Our ongoing improvements to the operating system, such as multitasking, theater mode, and immersive audio, are aimed at supporting this growing user segment.” In 2024, Quest saw a 10% increase in average time spent per user per month in media apps, along with a 21% rise in users of the headset’s built-in Internet browser.

It seems Meta is at a crucial juncture, balancing the needs of early adopters craving premium content with the growing influence of free-to-play, socially-driven content. The big question remains: how much will Meta lean on in-app purchases to sustain its developer community? This strategy might risk encouraging a design approach that prioritizes engagement over depth. The real test for Meta now is to manage this growth without sidelining any part of its user base.