The Oculus Quest 2 is still one of the most popular headsets on the market, but more Steam users opted for a Valve Index last month over Meta’s best VR headset. According to the latest Steam Hardware Survey, the percentage of Quest 2 users on gaming PC only increased by 0.27%, while uptake of Valve’s virtual reality gear jumped by 0.66%.
Normally, the Oculus Quest 2 gains more new users than any other VR headset, with the only exception being back in September 2021 thanks to halted sales in Australia (via UploadVR). This time, the Quest 2’s second-place uptake ranking hasn’t got a mitigating circumstance, but it does follow a controversial decision to re-brand the device as the Meta Quest 2.
The third most popular VR headset, the Oculus Rift S, saw a 0.54% decline in users this month, which suggests a movement towards newer devices. Of course, part of that figure could comprise of PC gamers that are no longer interested in virtual reality, but some may have jumped ship to either the Quest 2 or the Valve Index. Providing that theory has merit, we might see more former Rift S invest in an Index, rather than a Meta device.
It’s easy to see why Oculus fans would be hesitant to pick up a Meta Quest headset, especially since the social media giant has effectively consigned the brand name to history. The company’s obsession with the metaverse could also drive some users away, especially if devices like the Quest 3 and Project Cambria become less about gaming and more about, well, whatever virtual world Meta is planning to embrace.