Recent data from Amazon US reveals that Quest headsets did not perform as well in sales during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period in 2024 as they did in 2023.
In the 30-day span around these major shopping events in 2023, approximately 170,000 Quest headsets were sold through Amazon. However, in 2024, that figure declined to around 146,000 units, marking a 14% decrease. It’s important to note that these figures are specific to Amazon and may not reflect trends at other retailers.
This dip in sales is rather unexpected, especially given that Meta had just launched the enhanced Quest 3S model. Moreover, the company slashed the price of the Quest 3 and launched the much-anticipated game Batman: Arkham Shadow timed perfectly for Black Friday frenzy.
In 2023, Meta was still marketing its older model, the Quest 2. That year, the hottest Black Friday deal for the 128GB version of the Quest 2 was a bargain at $250, further sweetened by a $50 gift card, effectively lowering the cost to $200.
This older deal seemed to resonate more with buyers compared to the 2024 offer, which saw the Quest 3S (128GB) going for $300 along with a $75 gift card, leading to an effective price of $225.
While a $25 difference might not appear substantial, and the Quest 3S certainly offers better value for that price difference, other factors come into play. Economic variables, promotional deals on rival products, and overall interest in VR technology are influential factors impacting consumer choice.
Looking at the sales ratio for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024, Quest 3S and Quest 3 sold at approximately a 3:1 ratio, mirroring the Quest 2 to Quest 3 sales ratio observed in 2023.
