The Meta Quest app was downloaded by 10.3 million iOS and Android machine customers in 2022, in response to Sensor Tower knowledge. This can be a 27% enchancment on 2021, when it achieved 8.1 million downloads, and comes regardless of 2022 Christmas Day downloads being 15% decrease than in 2021—the everyday peak day of the 12 months (see Determine 1). 2022 downloads have been total larger all year long, notably within the first half, earlier than Quest 2’s worth was elevated by $100 in August 2022.
Whereas not a precise illustration of Quest 2 headset gross sales, Meta Quest app obtain figures nonetheless function a great barometer, given the cellular app have to be downloaded as a part of the preliminary set-up of the headset. Sensor Tower has a sturdy methodology which incorporates not counting re-downloads, app updates, or subsequent downloads on new or further gadgets for an present iOS/Google Play account.
Regardless of macroeconomic challenges and a worth enhance, Quest 2 seems to have carried out effectively in 2022, according to Omdia’s assumptions in our newest Consumer VR Headset and Content Revenue Forecast 2022-2027. Omdia’s provide chain tracker knowledge for VR show shipments additionally helps this pattern.
Determine 1: Meta Quest cellular app downloads over previous 4 years:
Launching Quest 3 in 2023 is important for sustaining Meta’s momentum. Omdia expects Quest 2’s gross sales to wane in 2023, which should be counterbalanced with the launch of Quest 3 to additional drive new gross sales and upgrades. Though not formally confirmed by Meta, its launch on the finish of 2023 is assumed in our forecast. 2023 is about to be a difficult 12 months for the buyer gadgets market, however we stay optimistic for each VR headsets and video games consoles.
Having surmounted core {hardware} points, VR is confronted with the a lot larger problem of content material
Video games are the principle cause folks purchase VR headsets, producing practically 90% of VR content material income at present. Even social VR—or ‘metaverse’—apps comparable to Rec Room, VR Chat, and Meta’s Horizon Worlds use video games as their draw. Nonetheless, engagement with present headsets stays patchy because of the restricted stream of really compelling VR experiences, hindering Meta’s most important objective of constructing a self-sustaining VR ecosystem.
With over 20 million estimated cumulative Meta Quest headset gross sales, Quest is the largest VR ecosystem on the planet, and the main VR content material platform. Meta is dominating the VR market, with 76% of complete headset gross sales in 2022.
Regardless of its finest efforts, nevertheless, mass adoption of VR stays good distance off, with simply 72 million headsets predicted to be in use by customers in 2027 (see Determine 2)—in distinction to over 6 billion smartphones, practically 3 billion PC households, and 250 million lively gaming consoles.
Video games studios have been tentative about making giant investments in VR as a result of a comparatively small set up base of headsets, however with projected progress within the coming 12 months, this sentiment is predicted to progressively change. The launch of Sony PlayStation’s VR2 (PSVR2) in February 2023 and ByteDance’s funding in VR via Pico ought to present a significant increase to developer confidence in VR.
Determine 2: The patron VR market will proceed to be dominated by standalone headsets, led by Quest gadgets
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