The VR Retail Experience Needs A Hard Reboot

The Quest 3 dummy unit is fastened precariously to the table, with a Quest 2 flopped forward on its face beside it.

I couldn’t see the newer Quest 3S, which has been out for almost a year, anywhere. Each headset was accompanied by a single sad controller strapped to the table next to it. I don’t know if they are meant to be displayed with only one controller, or if the second controller used to be there. Either way, it was obvious no one had given this display any care or attention in a very long time.

There were no accessories. No boxed units ready for someone to take home. Just desolation, neglect, and sadness. This was my recent experience at a Best Buy store, and it left me wondering: what exactly is the state of VR retail?

There’s no technology that needs to be experienced first-hand more than virtual reality. Trying to explain VR to someone who’s never put on a headset is like trying to describe the taste of an apple to someone who’s never eaten one. You can’t talk your way into understanding it. You have to try it. VR’s struggle to reach the mass market has always come down to that missing step. In the early years, a powerful gaming PC was required to even run VR hardware. The Oculus Go and Oculus Quest changed that by making standalone VR possible, finally putting it within reach of the average consumer. But there still isn’t a good way for most people to try the product before buying.

Almost anyone who’s spent time in VR can recall their first experience vividly. The trick is to link that moment to a sale and do it at a scale that doesn’t leave headsets grimy for the next person to try.

Aside from Apple, the only company making a real retail push is Meta. But they only have a single brick-and-mortar store of their own. At scale, they rely on partners like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. And the results are wildly inconsistent. Some Meta Quest kiosks are well stocked and maintained, sure. But many others are neglected, damaged, or ignored – like the disaster I encountered in the shadow of New York City.

Apple, for all the flack it catches for Vision Pro’s pricing, nails the in-store demo experience. Its retail footprint has always been part of its secret sauce. Customers can try products in a low-pressure environment, then come back for service and support after the sale. The customer experience has ebbed and flowed over the years, but one truth remains: to understand how great Apple products feel, you have to use them – even if just for a few minutes in a store.

Apple’s New Stores Have A Dedicated Vision Pro Side Room

Contrary to the public perception of Apple’s sentiment on Vision Pro, the company’s new stores include a dedicated side room for the headset.

Apple takes this further with Vision Pro. Every demo is carefully choreographed to highlight the headset’s best features – from immersive spatial video and photos to productivity tools and entertainment. The content isn’t random; it’s a curated showcase designed to deliver the most impactful first impression possible.

By the end of the demo, a customer has seen the device at its absolute best, with no guesswork, no clunky menus, and no missed opportunities to impress.

Meta made some attempts. It’s taken roadshow demos on tour, like last October’s Batman: Arkham Shadow event, designed to showcase both the franchise and the Quest 3S. But these efforts are short-lived, tied to a specific game, location, or moment, and don’t add up to a consistent retail strategy.

What’s needed is a more robust infrastructure for demos. Whether that means Meta opening many more of its own stores (as reports suggest), investing more heavily in partner displays, or some other solution, the fact remains: VR simply must be experienced to be understood.

Another obstacle is the software itself. Meta’s Horizon OS doesn’t include a proper “demo mode” – a streamlined, controlled experience designed for first-time users. Instead, the standard onboarding process can feel clunky, confusing, or overwhelming in a retail setting, especially for someone who’s never touched VR before. If Meta is serious about consumer adoption, why not build a polished demo environment directly into the OS? Take people instantly into that unforgettable moment of presence without setup screens, menus, or friction. Without that, even the best retail displays will struggle to deliver the kind of wow factor that sells headsets.

Meta recently opened a second front where this matters just as much. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have been a hit, with an Oakley HSTN version already out and more on the way. HUD glasses are gaining interest, and true augmented reality (AR) glasses are the ultimate goal. For now, Meta benefits from EssilorLuxottica’s retail footprint. But its upcoming AR glasses reportedly won’t be EssilorLuxottica products, and that means Meta will eventually need its own dedicated retail presence. One that can handle demos, fittings, prescriptions, and basic repair service. Think LensCrafters, but with displays.

And that’s exactly the kind of environment Quest headsets could benefit from today already. Dedicated space, staffed by people who know the product and how to demonstrate it, creating that brain-breaking first moment of wonder.

Meta Could Open More Stores To Sell Headsets & Glasses

Meta plans to open more retail stores, Business Insider reports. Currently there is one physical Meta Store in Burlingame, California, where the company sells Quest headsets and Ray-Ban smart glasses.

It’s unclear what Meta’s long-term retail strategy is as it scales its wearables business. Maybe we’ll hear more at Meta Connect 2025 in three weeks. But this much is obvious: if VR is ever going to move beyond its niche, we can’t leave the magic of the first demo to chance. Someone – Meta or otherwise – must give the right demo to hundreds of millions of people.