Meta Considers Free-to-Play Model Amid Changing Quest User Base with New Owners

Meta’s ambitions for the metaverse are experiencing a significant transformation, driven by youthful users and mainstream consumers who have started reshaping the Quest platform throughout 2024. This evolution, as noted by Samantha Ryan, VP of Metaverse Content, might give a substantial boost to free-to-play content.

Ryan pointed out in a recent developer blog that last year witnessed notable shifts in user behavior, fueled primarily by the influx of newcomers to Quest. She mentioned that sales of devices grew in 2024, with the Quest 3S surpassing any previous headset in terms of average usage time right after launch. Additionally, spending across Quest devices saw a substantial rise, with the platform’s total payment volume increasing by 12% compared to the previous year, largely due to the significant boost in in-app purchases.

Free-to-play games thrive on these in-app purchases, and a perfect example is Another Axiom’s breakthrough VR game, Gorilla Tag, which hit $100 million in gross revenue last summer, largely driven by in-game cosmetic sales.

“We’re committed to creating a social-focused platform, and these younger users are more inclined to engage with friends through multiplayer experiences and social apps,” Ryan continued. “This trend is contributing to the surge of free-to-play titles, reminiscent of patterns seen on other platforms. We are also noticing a growth in younger users in Horizon Worlds.”

Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth, emphasized the company’s dedication to its cross-compatible social platform. In a recently leaked memo, he stressed that the mobile version of Horizon Worlds is critical for their long-term strategic goals to succeed.

“We anticipate the free-to-play model to become a sustainable strategy for developers, who have traditionally depended on premium apps,” Ryan explained. “However, we don’t foresee F2P replacing premium apps entirely; both models are likely to coexist.”

Despite this shift, the Quest community of VR enthusiasts, who demand top-tier premium content, still forms the backbone of this expanding ecosystem. Existing Quest users have sparked a wave of device sales as they upgraded from earlier models, representing 27% of Quest 3 and 20% of Quest 3S users for the year.

Nevertheless, according to Ryan, the bulk of new device owners in 2024 weren’t existing enthusiasts upgrading, but rather newcomers to the Quest system. “The familiar characteristics of VR enthusiasts no longer fully represent the Quest user base,” she noted.

In terms of traditional media and entertainment consumption, it seems that 2D apps and browsers historically haven’t attracted much engagement on Quest devices, although there’s been an uptick in recent years.

“Since the launch of Quest 3, we’ve seen an increase in the use of 2D apps,” Ryan stated. “Our continuous enhancements to the operating system, such as multitasking capabilities, theater mode, and immersive audio, are designed to cater to this growing audience.” In 2024, Quest users spent 10% more time in media apps each month on average, and there was a 21% rise in people using the default Internet browser on the headset.

Recent trends suggest that Quest is approaching a crucial juncture. Meta faces the challenge of balancing between satisfying the premium content demands of early adopters while also embracing the revenue potential presented by free-to-play, socially-driven content. It remains uncertain to what extent Meta will lean on in-app spending to support its developer community, a move that might encourage a design philosophy focused entirely on maximizing engagement. What’s clear, though, is that Meta must manage this growth carefully to avoid alienating any segment of its user base.