Meta Responds To VR Developer Concerns Over Discoverability & Sales
Meta just published a blog post responding to VR developer concerns about reduced discoverability and sales, claiming that Quest platform spend increased 12% in 2024.
Meta responded to developer concerns over discoverability and sales on its platform with a blog post detailing the rise of in-app purchases and free-to-play content.
A blog post from Meta's Samantha Ryan, VP of Metaverse Content, claims "people spent more time on average in Quest 3S devices than any other headset at launch" and "total payment volume on the platform rose 12% in 2024, driven by significant growth of in-app purchases."
The figure gives useful context to our in-depth report talking with nearly two dozen developers struggling with visibility on Meta's platform. Meta's blog post terms these dev works "premium" products among free Horizon Worlds destinations, as Meta transitions toward supporting Horizon OS with third-party hardware in addition to the company's own Quest headsets.
"We don’t think F2P will replace premium apps — both models are likely to coexist," Ryan wrote. "These models are fighting for a share of consumer wallets and as competition heats up, we’re committed to fostering an ecosystem where all kinds of business models can succeed."
Henry Stockdale
You can check out the full post on Meta's site from Ryan, who joined the company about a year ago to "lead the growth and evolution of our software strategy for the metaverse".
The post suggests "young people" are a "growing share of new users" and "contributing to the rise of free-to-play titles" as well as in using Horizon Worlds.
"This shift signals a growing opportunity for new business models," Ryan wrote. "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."
The post also mentions a 10% rise in time users spent in media apps, with Amazon Prime added last year to quickly become a "top 10 2D app by time spent on the platform".
"In 2024, existing Meta Quest owners drove a wave of device sales as they upgraded from earlier models, accounting for 27% of Quest 3 and 20% of Quest 3S users for the year," Meta noted. "These customers have high expectations for fidelity and gravitate to premium titles that feature high production value, and we continue to see strong performance for titles like The Thrill of the Fight 2 and Contractors Showdown that appeal to this audience."
The majority of new devices sold in 2024, Meta says, "were people getting their first Quest headset. As so many newcomers enter the market, the well-known attributes of VR enthusiasts no longer represent the full Quest userbase."
The post also recaps a number of recent updates and tests, like changes to the store interface to makes store apps "more visible on the front page of the Horizon mobile app" as well as "enabling developers to opt-in to platform sales".
"To reach younger audiences looking for fun, social, free-to-play experiences, we’re expanding the ways you can build and monetize in Horizon Worlds," the post notes.
Walkabout Mini Golf development studio Mighty Coconut told UploadVR that 50% of its revenue is from paid DLC content, with January being the best DLC sales month ever for the company.
"In-app purchases are incredibly important for revenue but also for keeping players engaged and coming back for fresh new experiences and worlds to explore," Walkabout creator Lucas Martell said. "It keeps things active and alive, and has allowed us to expand the game far beyond our wildest dreams."
We've still got some unanswered questions about the direction of Meta's ecosystem and will be following up in the days ahead.
