Meta Quest 3S isn't a hit with PC VR enthusiasts
Valve's latest SteamVR statistics suggest that Meta Quest 3S isn't as popular with PC VR players as Meta Quest 2 and 3.
Valve has released the SteamVR statistics for December 2024, and surprisingly Meta Quest 3 and 3S have seen even less growth than last month.
Quest 3S has at least improved from 11th to 9th place, but in reality it should be further ahead.
We know that Quest 3S headsets used on a PC via Quest Link and Virtual Desktop are registered as Quest 3 by Valve's survey, and only those used via Steam Link are actually registered as Quest 3S. The Quest 3's percentage therefore includes an unknown proportion of Quest 3S, and it would make more sense to count Quest 3 and Quest 3S together. The combined shares amount to 22.1 percent. Before the launch of Quest 3S, the Quest 3 percentage was 17.26 percent.
Overall, the growth of Quest 3S is below expectations. Both Quest 2 and Quest 3 grew faster after their launch, but we'll have to see what happens in the following months. Although PC VR enthusiasts are likely to have primarily opted for the more expensive Quest 3, the fact that the Quest 2's percentage has barely shrunk and still stands at 34 percent shows that many users haven't switched yet to a newer Quest headset, even after the launch of the more affordable Quest 3S.
There may also be a statistical error on Valve's part, which could be corrected in the coming days. It wouldn't be the first time.
Counting all Meta headsets together, their SteamVR share is 67.6 percent. It's a high figure that's been more or less stagnant for years and hasn't been significantly increased by Quest 3 and Quest 3S.
The SteamVR headset charts for December 2024 | Image: Screenshot by MIXED
What are Valve's SteamVR statistics?
SteamVR is the largest PC VR platform.
The screenshot above is taken from Valve's monthly Steam hardware and software statistics. It includes all VR headsets that were connected to PCs with Steam installed during the month in question, and whose users participated in Valve's survey.
The statistics provide an indication of the relative distribution of PC VR headsets, but do not include devices that are used exclusively in standalone mode. Quest headsets can be used wirelessly on a PC via Quest Link, Virtual Desktop and Steam Link - an option that a minority of users take advantage of.
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