Throughout this 12 months’s Sport Builders Convention (GDC 2024) Meta has revealed that the Meta Quest 3 has greater retention charges than any of its earlier VR headsets – suggesting considered one of VR’s largest issues may be a factor of the previous.
VR devices have develop into extremely fashionable in recent times – simply take a look at the sales success of the Oculus Quest 2, and the huge hype across the Apple Vision Pro – however there’s been a quiet killer for all of them: retention. In line with an inner report shared by The Verge in March 2023, Meta was involved in regards to the comparatively low engagement of Quest 2 customers and it was apparently burdened to employees by Mark Rabkin, Meta’s vp of VR, that the corporate must “be higher at progress and retention.”
That emphasis appears to have paid off, with it now being mentioned by Chris Pruett, Meta’s Director of Content material Ecosystem, that the Quest 3 has a better retention price than any earlier Meta / Oculus headset.
Meta hasn’t given any direct clarification of why its headsets are proving higher at retaining homeowners’ consideration than its predecessors, however we’ve got quite a lot of theories.
The primary, and maybe most vital, is the Quest 3’s simplicity. If it’s charged up you’ll be able to simply slip it on and begin taking part in a VR recreation immediately – in contrast to older PCVR fashions. This cause is probably going additionally why the unique Oculus Quest had the best retention of any Oculus headset ever based on John Carmack in 2019 (Through UploadVR)
One other seemingly cause the Quest 3 has been in a position to take issues up a notch by way of retention is software program. The Quest retailer has been up and working for roughly 5 years, and in that point builders have created an outstanding VR catalog of cross-platform and unique software program.
The Quest 3 has additionally raised the bar with good specs, and stable blended actuality passthrough, including much more alternatives for app creators to develop significant software program that homeowners need to use usually.
This, and the headset’s much less cumbersome and comfier-to-wear design, are, as we see it, the 2 largest the explanation why we’ve began utilizing the machine extra usually than the Quest 2.
Lastly, there’s a perception that the Quest 3’s greater price may very well be serving to its retention ranges. At $299 / £299 / AU$479 the Quest 2 was virtually a tech impulse purchase – particularly contemplating it additionally got here out not lengthy earlier than the pandemic, a interval when folks sometimes had extra disposable earnings.
Whereas at $499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.99 – and launching at a time when disposable earnings is usually lots decrease – the Quest 3 is rather more of a thought of buy. So for those who aren’t planning to make use of the brand new Meta machine pretty typically, you’re extra more likely to discuss your self out of shopping for it.
Why does greater retention matter?
Past making it simpler to get a VR squad collectively to play a multiplayer recreation, why does a better retention price matter to you or us?
From a {hardware} perspective, it means that the Quest 3 is doing one thing proper – whether or not it is the blended actuality focus, its newfound steadiness of specs and price, or a mix of things. This might clue us into what future gadgets may seem like; particularly that they might attempt to observe the Quest 3’s lead by leaning additional into blended actuality, or the mainline Quest headset sustaining an identical value level (in change for higher specs) – which might pave the best way for the rumored cheaper Meta Quest 3 Lite.
It could additionally encourage extra VR software program growth, because it reveals builders that there’s a dependable marketplace for significant VR software program. So in case you have a Quest headset already, you may see extra and higher apps launch sooner or later.
Given Meta made the announcement at GDC 2024, it is seemingly hoping that this latter level proves true. Nonetheless, given the velocity of {hardware} and software program growth, we’ll seemingly have a short time to attend and see what the Quest 3’s newfound reputation means in sensible phrases.
Discussion about this post