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Meta’s Xbox-Branded Quest 3S Just Sold Out for All the Wrong Reasons
Is demand for VR headsets really that high? Or did Meta just launch the perfect scalper bait?
By James Pero Published June 28, 2025 | Comments ( 0 ) |
Everyone loves limited-edition stuff. Thereâs Sony’s 30th anniversary PS5, or Analogueâs many limited edition Pocket handhelds, orâ I don’t knowâthe Shamrock f***ing Shake. But there’s one type of person who loves limited-edition stuff more than your average consumer, and itâs a scalper. For proof of that, see Meta’s recently released Xbox-branded Quest 3S . See Meta Quest Xbox Edition at Best Buy
In case you missed it, Meta’s new limited-edition Quest 3S bundle just recently sold out , which on the surface sounds like a great thing for VR and XR. You may be tempted to say, âOh, wow! People really like XR headsets, huh?â But before you do that, it might also be worth taking a short gander at eBay, because the resale market over there paints a slightly more cynical picture.
It’s full of Xbox-branded Quest 3S bundles, folksâand they ain’t just giving them away. This bundle, for reference, retails at $399, and the average price I’m seeing on eBay is about $600, though sometimes a little more or a little less. Here is the sad state of affairs on eBay as of the time of typing these words: © eBay / Screenshot by Gizmodo
The list goes on and on, unfortunately, which tells me one thing: the scalpers had a field day with this thing. And that’s just kind of sad. It’s not sad that someone would want to make money from reselling a limited-edition gadgetâas annoying as scalpers are, I can’t blame anyone for having a side hustle in this economy. But it is sad that Meta seemingly didn’t do much to preserve its limited-edition Quest 3S for XR nerds who unequivocally deserve first dibs. It’s also maybe a little sadâas someone who borders on said XR- and Xbox-loving headâthat the race to being out of stock may not actually be driven by real demand.
XR headsets, while not the most crucial gadget in the world, are pretty cool and deserve more shine than they get, in my humble opinion. It would have been nice to see them really break through with a little help from an Xbox marketing gimmick.
Source: gizmodo.com
