INDUSTRY

entertainment

Category

game platforms

products Profiled

Meta Quest Pro

Meta Quest 2/3

H-Score

38

ranked 4th of 20 within the entertainment industry

ranked 50th of 76 overall

product descriptions

The Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro are wireless virtual reality (VR) headsets developed by Meta and, as of 2022, are used actively by over 6 million people monthly.(1) The VR headsets give users access to many gaming titles, social platforms, entertainment and fitness options, as well as productivity tools for business.(2) The latest version, Meta Quest 3, was released in October 2023 and features both technological and physical improvements such as weight reduction, advanced mixed reality capabilities, and a more powerful and faster processor.(3)

product use

The Meta Quest VR headsets are primarily used for gaming in both single and multiplayer experiences on various unique VR game titles. The Meta Quest VR headsets are used with the Meta Quest Touch Plus Controllers (one for each hand) that provide gamers with a more immersive experience by tracking hand movement. After putting on the headset, users have an interactive menu to choose what game or service they want to use. Upon first use, the headset scans the room to set a boundary that keeps the user safe in addition to creating a virtual replica of the area to be used in games. To give Quest users access to more games, Meta offers Meta Quest +, a subscription service that provides two new titles each month to active subscribers.(4)

who’s affected

The Meta Quest VR headsets are for users age 13 and up; anyone under the age of 10 is not allowed to have or use a Meta account.(5) In Building H’s survey data, 57% of Meta Quest users were male, 43% were female, and less than 1% identified as other. Twenty-eight (28) percent of Meta Quest users were between the ages of 18 and 29, 55% between 30 and 49, 10% between 50 and 64, and 7% 65 or older. Among heavy Meta Quest users (defined as using the console ≥1 hour per day), 58% were male, 41% were female, and less than 1% identified as other. Twenty-seven (27) percent of heavy Meta Quest users were between the ages 18 and 29, 56% between 30 and 49, 10% between 50 and 64, and 7% 65 or older. Meta Quest users' incomes skewed higher from the general population: 20% made less than $50,000 per year, 43% made between $50,000 and $100,000 per year, 19% made between $100,000 and $150,000 per year, and 18% made at least $150,000 per year.(6)

influence on health-related behaviors

EATING

slight to moderate negative influence

Meta Quest, like other gaming platforms, can negatively influence eating habits. Playing video games on platforms like Meta Quest can decrease users' ability to estimate the amount of food they have consumed and can influence the consumption of unhealthy foods. 

Several studies have documented the overconsumption of food caused by the absence of hunger(7) and impairment to satiety cues(8) following video game playing though not specific to Meta Quest. Playing video games, which can be a form of distraction while eating, puts gamers at a higher risk of overconsuming food.(9) 

Playing video games on platforms like Meta Quest has been linked with greater consumption of sugary foods,(10) fatty foods,(11) and salty foods.(12) Studies have also reported that video gamers eat fewer fruits and vegetables and foods high in fiber.(13,14) In addition, gamers may be likely to consume energy drinks, especially those that are specifically marketed to them, which claim to enhance attention and reaction time.(15)

In Building H’s consumer research, we found that 56% of Meta Quest users reported snacking always or almost always (21%) or frequently (34%). Heavy Meta Quest users reported snacking always or almost always or frequently in similar proportions.(16)

Meta Quest users did report that these snacks were predominantly healthy: 72% reported consuming either very healthy (31%) or somewhat healthy (41%) snacks and 76% of heavy Meta Quest users reported consuming very healthy (34%) and somewhat healthy (42%) snacks.(17)

Our research also found associations between Meta Quest use and other eating habits: 67% of heavy Meta Quest users have three (3) or more meals delivered per week compared to 5% non-gamers. In addition, 70% of heavy Meta Quest users reported eating three (3) or more fast food meals per week compared to 14% of non-gamers.(18) Note that researchers have found 70% of meals served at fast food restaurants to be of poor nutritional quality.(19) 

Lastly, 54% of heavy Meta Quest users reported consuming energy drinks while gaming either frequently (36%) or always or almost always (18%).(20) Research has linked energy drink consumption to metabolic disorder due to their high added sugar content.(21)

PHYSICAL ACTVITY

neutral to slight negative impact

Playing video games is largely, if not exclusively, a sedentary activity and 73% of heavy Meta Quest users report playing while sitting or reclining – 37% frequently and 36% always or almost always.(22) 

As a popular leisure activity, playing video games limits the time available for physical activity. Forty-nine (49) percent of Meta Quest users report playing one (1) hour or more per day. Also, 43% of Meta Quest users reported playing five (5) or more hours per week compared to 38% of gamers in general.(23) In addition, increased gaming predicts less time spent on physical activity due to the limited time available to participate in other activities including outdoor activities or sports.(24) Research has shown a significant association between individuals playing video games for more than 7 hours per week and reduced vigorous physical activity.(25) Our research did not reflect this relationship. In Building H consumer research, 26% of heavy Meta Quest users reported engaging in at least two and a half (2 ½) hours of physical activity per week, similar to non-gamers (27%). Ten (10) percent of heavy Meta Quest users reported engaging in less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week compared to 36% of non-gamers.(26)

The Meta Quest platform offers many different workout games and includes a social component where friends can exercise together virtually.(27) The various fitness games, including sports, boxing, and high intensity interval training (HIIT), give users the opportunity to pick a game that best suits their fitness goals. In addition, having virtual fitness communities could help encourage Meta Quest users to exercise consistently while having a fun experience with others. Meta has various workout studios (boxing, dancing, sculpting, combat, and HIIT) where several hundred classes are available on-demand and new experiences are released weekly.(28) To help quantify the exercise users are getting, Meta Quest Move app tracks calories burned and also the amount of time one has been active.(29) Also, Meta offers a specialized set of accessories, for those who plan to use the Quest for exercise, which includes a cleanable facial interface and improved controller straps for more secure use. Recent research found that VR fitness experiences reduce the users perceived exertion level meaning participants exercised more vigorously than they thought.(30) In Building H’s consumer research, 56% of heavy Meta Quest users reported frequently (28%) or always/almost always (28%) standing and actively moving while gaming.(31)

slight to moderate negative impact

Gaming on platforms like Meta Quest is associated with longer onset of sleep, short sleep duration, and poor sleep quality.(32) Recent findings suggest that with each additional hour of gaming per day, bedtime is delayed by 6.9 minutes, wake-up time by 13.8 minutes, and the odds of having poor sleep increased by 31.0%.(33) In addition it was found that gaming exceeding an hour per day decreases sleep quality with unfavorable sleep resulting from gaming for more than two hours per day.(34)

Recent US survey data indicates that 53.8% of adult gamers reported delaying sleep in order to game and 37.8% got less than 5 hours of sleep.(35) Consistent with this information, in Building H research data, 82% of heavy Meta Quest gamers reported delaying sleep at least two (2) nights per week compared to 46% of all gamers. However, the impact of this behavior did not show in our data on overall sleep: 18% of heavy Meta Quest users reported getting six (6) or less actual hours of sleep per night compared to 38% of non-gamers.(36)

Late-night gaming also leads to exposure to blue light emitted by the VR headset display on which the game is displayed. Furthermore, the blue light emitted from the gaming visuals enhances alertness and arousal and delays melatonin production all of which impact sleep-wake cycles.(37) Meta’s Quest VR headsets offer a night mode setting, which turns the display a shade of yellow to reduce blue light exposure.The Meta Quest VR headsets do not have the ability to set a bedtime schedule, but users can set daily use limits set as part of parental controls through supervision tools. Although geared toward restricting children’s use of the device, this feature could benefit adults as well.(38)

Finally, consumption of energy drinks has been tied to an increased risk of poor sleep (39) and, as noted above, more than half of heavy Meta Quest users report consuming energy drinks frequently (or even more often) while they play.

Engaging Socially

neutral to slight negative influence

Meta offers many multiplayer games for user Quest users to have social interaction while playing. In addition, they have Meta Horizon Home which is a virtual hangout room where users can go places as a group, play games, explore different landscapes and settings, or just chat.(40) When users start their Quest VR headset, they always begin in Meta Horizon Home where they can quickly start interacting with their friends after being invited over to someone’s virtual home. According to a recent user report, Meta’s Horizon Home appears to not be a widely used feature.(41)

Building H’s consumer research shows that 18% of Meta Quest gamers play single-player games always or almost always. Eighteen (18) percent of Meta Quest users play multiplayer games always or almost always (5%) or mostly (13%).(42) Research has shown that video games offer shy, socially anxious, and socially inhibited players the opportunity to strengthen pre-existing friendships built online and generate additional social support.(43) Online video games offer gamers the opportunity to engage actively with others compared to other on-screen behaviors by allowing gamers to participate in a shared activity with a common goal.(44) A recent study found a correlation between multiplayer online games and a sense of social identity, which corresponded with higher self-esteem and more social competence along with lower levels of loneliness.(45) Another study that focused on men, found that those with more depressive symptoms and less real-life support were roughly 40% more likely to form and maintain social ties with fellow gamers than those reporting more real-life support.(46) Increasingly users play video games to stay connected with friends and family, with 53% of US gamers reporting online gaming as a way to spend time with others that they don’t get the chance to see often.(47) Furthermore, 74% of parents report playing video games with their children at least weekly.(48) 

In Building H’s consumer research, 56% of heavy Meta Quest users reported being lonely compared to 41% of non-gamers. Yet, Meta Quest users appear to engage in more in-person social activity. Eighty (80) percent of heavy Meta Quest users reported having two or more in-person social visits with people from outside of their household per week, as compared to 45% of non-gamers.(49) 

The quality of social experience might differ depending on the game being played or the source of communication being utilized. Gamers have identified co-players as close, trusted, and valued friends with 75% of individuals surveyed reporting making good friends online and 40% of those discussing offline issues online.(50) Even when voice chat is not being used meaningfully social interactions can still occur where users exchange positive social-emotional messages more than task-oriented messages.(51) Even though features offered by developers and gaming platforms provide a source for people to connect and meet new people, toxic behaviors experienced in-game can deteriorate from the overall experience. After experiencing these toxic behaviors gamers might change session length, session frequency, and retention.(52) 

In Building H’s consumer research, respondents were asked how playing games had influenced their relationships and social interactions in 13 different ways, including, for example, “meet new people,” “give emotional support to others,” and “feel less excluded.” Meta Quest users reported a slight positive effect: on a scale of +3 to -3, the average score was 1.10 with the low being 0.87 and the high being 1.24 across all 13 questions.(53) They gave their highest scores to “meet my desired levels of socializing,” “feel satisfied with my relationships,” and “maintain my relationships” and their lowest scores to “meet new people” and “make new friends.” Heavy Meta Quest users also said that the platform had a positive influence: the average score was 1.10 with the low being 0.87 and the high being 1.25.(54)

Getting Outdoors

neutral to slight negative influence

Gaming consoles are stationary devices and therefore are not intended for outdoor use. On the other hand, both virtual reality and handheld devices are portable and more likely to be used outdoors by gamers. In Building H’s consumer research, 55% of heavy Meta Quest users reported gaming outdoors frequently (36%) and always or almost always (19%) compared to 11% reporting rarely or never. In addition, our research revealed 67% of heavy Meta Quest users reported being outdoors for an hour or more per day in summer compared to 51% of non-gamers.(55)

Return to 2024 Building H Index

1. Henry Stockdale. Quest Reportedly Had Over 6 Million Monthly Active Players Late Last Year. Upload website, April 2023.

2. Expand Your World With Meta Quest. Meta website, accessed December 10, 2023.

3. Mike Andronico. I just tried the Meta Quest 3 — and it’s the VR headset I’ve always wanted. CNN website, September 27, 2023.

4. Save Money. Game On. Meta website, accessed December 13, 2023.

5. Meta Quest Safety Information for Parents and Pre-teens. Meta website, accessed December 10, 2023.

6. Evan Cook. Measuring the Product Environment: How do Video Games on Health Behaviors? Building H on Medium. April 23, 2024.

7. Mario Servio et al. Acute effects of video-game playing versus television viewing on stress markers and food intake in overweight and obese young men: A randomised controlled trial. Appetite. Volume 120 (January 2018), pp. 100- 108.

8. Jean-Philipe Chaput et al. Video game playing increases food intake in adolescents: a randomized crossover study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Volume 93, Issue 6 (June 2011), pp. 1196-1203.

9. Rose  Oldham-Cooper et al. Playing a computer game during lunch affects fullness, memory for lunch, and later snack intake.The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Volume 93, Issue 2 (2011), pp. 308-313.

10. Mario Siervo et al. Acute effects of violent video-game playing on blood pressure and appetite perception in normal-weight young men: a randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Volume 67, Issue 12 (2013), pp. 1322-1324.

11. Dustin Moore and Jesse Stabile Morrell. Do dietary patterns differ with video game usage in college men? Journal of American College Health. Published online Aug 23, 2022.

12. Siervo et al. (2018).

13. Mario Siervo et al. Frequent video-game playing in young males is associated with central adiposity and high-sugar, low-fibre dietary consumption. Eating and Weight Disorders. Volume 19, Issue 4 (2014), pp. 515-520.

14. Siervo et al. (2018).

15. Dana Roscoe et al. Fueling the Games”: Energy Drink Consumption, Marketing, and the Associated Perceptions and Behaviors in Video Gaming. Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports. Volume1, Issue 1 (2021), pp. 1-9.

16. Cook (2024).

17. Ibid.

18. Ibid.

19. Junxiu Liu et al. Quality of Meals Consumed by US Adults at Full-Service and Fast-Food Restaurants, 2003–2016: Persistent Low Quality and Widening Disparities. The Journal of Nutrition. Volume 150, Issue 4 (April 2020), pp. 873–883.

20. Cook (2024).

21. Laila Al-Shaar et al. Health Effects and Public Health Concerns of Energy Drink Consumption in the United States: A Mini-Review. Frontiers in Public Health. Volume 5, Article 225 (2017).

22. Cook (2024).

23. Ibid.

24. Beate Hygen et al. Longitudinal relations between gaming, physical activity, and athletic self-esteem. Computers in Human Behavior. Volume 132 (July 2022).

25. Siervo et al. (2014).

26. Cook (2024).

27. Break a sweat with inspiring fitness. Meta website, accessed December 12, 2023.

28. Ibid.

29. Learn about Meta Quest Move. Meta website, accessed December 12, 2023.

30. Trenton H. Stewart et al. Actual vs. perceived exertion during active virtual reality game exercise. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. Volume 3, (August 2022).

31. Cook (2024).

32. Joaquim Kristensen et al. Problematic Gaming and Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry. Volume 12, 2021.

33. Chadley Kemp et al. Sleep in Habitual Adult Video Gamers: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Neuroscience. Volume 15, 2021.

34. Ibid.

35. Lauren Gravitz. How Gamers Actually Sleep. Sleep Foundation website. November 18, 2022.

36. Cook (2024).

37. Kristensen et al. (2021).

38. Get parents started with supervision. Meta website, accessed December 12, 2023.

39. Laila Al-Shaar et al. (2017).

40. Making VR More Social With Meta Horizon Home. Meta website, accessed December 13, 2023.

41. Protos. YouTuber finds only 900 daily users in Horizon Worlds — Meta’s $36B metaverse. Protos website. August 17, 2023.

42. Cook (2024).

43. Rachel Kowert and Linda K. Kaye. Video Games Are Not Socially Isolating, in C. Ferguson (ed) Video Game Influences on Aggression, Cognition, and Attention (2018), pp. 185–195.

44. Stephen Gossett. The Real Social Benefits of Video Games. Built In. January 23, 2023.

45. Kowert and Kaye (2018).

46. Tyler Prochnow et al. Online Gaming Network Communication Dynamics, Depressive Symptoms, and Social Support: A Longitudinal Network Analysis. Sociological Focus. Volume 56, Issue 3 (2023).

47. Entertainment Software Association. 2021 Essential Facts About the Gaming Industry. The ESA website, July 2021.

48. Ibid.

49. Cook (2024).

50. Kowert and Kaye (2018).

51. Andrew Fishman. Video Games Are Social Spaces: How Video Games Help People Connect. Response for Teens website, accessed November 14, 2023.

52. Otto Soderlund. Voice Chat is Popular with Gamers - It's also the Top Source of Toxic Behavior. Speechly. March 8, 2023.

53. Using an adaptation of the Retrospective Assessment for Connection Impact (RACI) scale developed by Matthew Smith.

54. Cook (2024).

55. Ibid.