Meta Retail Lets You Go Hands-On With Quest, Portal & Ray-Ban Stories
The Meta Store is coming soon, according to the social media giant that's better known for Facebook. Meta's first retail store will allow interested shoppers to go hands-on with its virtual reality products as well as its video chat device and glasses that can record what the user sees. The idea is undoubtedly to spur greater interest in these exciting but so far surprisingly slow-selling products.
In 2018, Facebook introduced Portal, its video chatting device that included Amazon's Alexa personal assistant. The company might have expected the low-cost solution to become a hot item. Instead, it barely made a ripple. While reviewers praised its quality and ease of use, a warning about potential privacy concerns was always discussed since Facebook was in the middle of controversy. However, things changed in 2020, as the pandemic increased the need for remote communication, causing a resurgence of interest and showing that sometimes it simply takes longer than expected for an idea to catch on.
Meta announced its first retail store location, where shoppers can try out the Quest VR headset, Portal video communication hub, and Ray-Ban Stories video-recording glasses. Located in Burlingame, Calif., near Meta's Reality Labs headquarters, it could signal the beginning of a new plan to spur interest in the company's vision of the Metaverse. Meta described the 1,550 square feet store as small enough to provide an engaging experience, likely with plenty of help available from eager staff. The Meta Store is located at 322 Airport Boulevard and will open on May 9, 2022, at 11 a.m. pacific time. It closes at 6:00 pm, allowing for up to seven hours in what will likely be a very packed store for at least the first few days. While Meta is encouraging developers to assist in building a virtual world, this physical store might help to make it a reality.
The Meta Quest 2 headset is much more popular than the original Oculus Quest or the Rift headsets that preceded it. Yet, the number of users is minuscule compared to what will be needed to grow the Metaverse. The latest count from Meta supplier Qualcomm placed sales at about 10 million Quest 2 headsets in late 2021. Of course, plenty of manufacturers would be thrilled with 10 million units sold. However, that is nothing compared to Meta's investment in building the platform.
At present, the Meta Quest 2 is the leading solution for virtual reality. At an incredibly low price of $300, it provides an experience that can't be recreated with even the widest widescreen monitors. Looking up, down, or spinning around, the VR world is everywhere when wearing a Quest headset. It should be wildly popular since it's the most immersive experience possible. However, most consumers buy a gaming console or a PC. Perhaps, hands-on demonstrations of the Quest 2 at a Meta Store will be more convincing.
Source: Meta