The shape of the Meta Quest market is shifting – and fast. Once dominated by adult early adopters, the ecosystem is now trending toward younger users, free-to-play experiences, and mounting headwinds for premium-priced VR games. For those deeply involved in the immersive medium this is not news. But if you’re wondering what’s happened, below are some of the key transformations that have happened in 2025.
A Younger Audience Enters the Meta Quest Market
Meta’s decision to lower the minimum recommended age for Meta accounts from 13 to 10 years old has dramatically changed the demographic makeup of its user base. This has not been a change brought about by deepening research into the effects of VR on younger minds. This has been a clear and calculated endorsement by a corporation in search of profit margins. That being said, these new accounts are parent-managed, giving caregivers control over what apps can be installed. There’s also guidance for enforcement of time limits, and the option to block certain content. Meta also promises tailored app recommendations based on age, and preteens’ profiles default to private to give parents oversight. By inviting children as young as 10 into its VR platform, Meta is competing more directly with youth-friendly digital ecosystems like Roblox and Minecraft.
As stated above, the shift isn’t purely altruistic. Younger users represent a growing market segment, even if their capacity (or willingness) to spend money on premium games is more constrained. Analysts have noted that many of these younger users don’t generate direct revenue in the way adult gamers do.
Free-to-Play is Dominating
Unsurprisingly, the influx of younger users is reshaping how content is consumed on Meta Quest headsets. Following the success of Gorilla Tag, free-to-play apps now command a large share of usage time on Meta’s store, and many of the top titles lean heavily into this model. For developers, that means the economic pressure to offer games for free — or at a very low upfront cost — is intensifying.
There’s a clear tension between Meta’s vision of a thriving, kid-friendly VR platform and the business realities faced by developers. Free-to-play is more accessible to the mass market Meta is building, but monetising these titles often depends on in-game purchases, cosmetics, or subscription-style models. Smaller studios, in particular, struggle to generate sustainable revenue without a large spending user base. Which the younger demographic may not reliably provide.
What Happened to Squido Studio?
One developer particularly stands out as a key example of the changes that VR is facing: Squido Studio. The developer has been a largely respected in VR for several years, creating hits such as No More Rainbows and DigiGods. However, their most recent titles – Grand Theft Animals and Brainrot Animals – have taken a very different approach. It feels like true lowest-common-denominator appeal. The fact that the former titles are featured on their website, but both Grand Theft Animals and Brainrot Animals are absent, suggests they too feel this way. But yet, perhaps the studio is finding greater success with this approach?
It’s no secret that the Meta Quest audience has changed dramatically this past year. With Meta themselves pushing for Horizon Worlds to become a recognised metaverse platform alongside the likes of Roblox and Fortnite, and the lowering of the target age demographic, premium priced VR games have become a harder sell. Free-to-play has become the dominant strategy, and Squido Studio seems to have dived into this headfirst.
The Future of the Meta Quest Market
Meta’s pivot toward a younger, free-to-play first ecosystem is a powerful signal about its long-term strategy. By bringing preteens into VR, the company is building a future-facing user base with potentially huge scale. A younger audience becoming familiar with VR today means a wealth of adults who are intimately familiar with the technology a decade from now. But while that may drive overall adoption, it also raises serious challenges for developers targeting more mature players with premium games.
To succeed, developers may need to recalibrate: embracing hybrid monetisation models, prioritising retention over upfront sales, and designing for longer-term engagement rather than immediate return. Meanwhile, Meta must balance its growth ambitions with support for its ecosystem. If high-quality, paid experiences vanish, the Meta Quest platform risks becoming defined exclusively by quick, disposable experiences similar to smartphones.
The reality of the Meta Quest market is that its future may be shaped more by the wallets of children than by the spending power of adult VR veterans. How do you feel about the shifts 2025 has brought about? Let us know in the comments below.
