Meta’s Xbox-Branded Quest 3S Simply Bought Out f...

Everybody loves limited-edition stuff. There’s Sony’s 30th anniversary PS5, or Analogue’s many limited edition Pocket handhelds, or— I don’t know—the Shamrock f***ing Shake. However there’s one kind of one that loves limited-edition stuff greater than your common shopper, and it’s 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 floor seems like an amazing factor for VR and XR. You might be tempted to say, “Oh, wow! Folks actually like XR headsets, huh?” However earlier than you do this, it might even be price taking a brief gander at eBay, as a result of the resale market over there paints a barely extra cynical image. It’s full of Xbox-branded Quest 3S bundles, people—they usually ain’t simply giving them away. This bundle, for reference, retails at $399, and the typical value I’m seeing on eBay is about $600, although generally just a little extra or rather less.

Right here is the unhappy state of affairs on eBay as of the time of typing these phrases:

The record goes on and on, sadly, which tells me one factor: the scalpers had a subject day with this factor. And that’s simply sort of unhappy. It’s not unhappy that somebody would wish to generate income from reselling a limited-edition gadget—as annoying as scalpers are, I can’t blame anybody for having a facet hustle on this financial system. Nevertheless it is unhappy that Meta seemingly didn’t do a lot to protect its limited-edition Quest 3S for XR nerds who unequivocally deserve first dibs. It’s additionally perhaps just a little unhappy—as somebody who borders on mentioned XR nerd id—that the race to being out of inventory might not really be pushed by actual demand. XR headsets, whereas not probably the most essential gadget on the planet, are fairly cool and deserve extra shine than they get, in my humble opinion. It could have been good to see them actually break via with just a little assist from an Xbox advertising and marketing gimmick. However as at all times, the almighty aftermarket prevails.

To be honest, I’m certain not the entire gross sales had been scalpers making an attempt to make a buck off the XR headset’s rarity. Some folks, I presume, purchased it as a result of it’s a fairly whole lot for stepping into XR—you get a glossy black headset with Xbox inexperienced particulars, Meta’s Elite Strap on your head, and a limited-edition Xbox controller to prime it off. Primarily based on the retail value of all of that, this bundle saves you someplace within the ballpark of $95. Some folks purchased this bundle due to Xbox, too. Right here’s one occasion wherein somebody appears to have pulled the set off on this bundle only for the controller. Actually… respect. That’s rather more pure than making an attempt to spin the entire thing round for $200.

The concept that somebody buys the brand new Quest colorway simply to nab the restricted version Xbox Controller and promote the remainder is admittedly comical.. pic.twitter.com/b5ER1xIfqe

— SadlyItsDadley (@SadlyItsBradley) June 27, 2025

Pay attention, scalpers are an inevitable truth of life these days whenever you’re shopping for any gadget that’s even barely in demand. Prefer it or not, that’s simply the world we stay in—one coloured by bots and dropshipping. However I’d be mendacity if I mentioned that it wouldn’t have been good to see just a little effort on Meta’s half to stop that. It may be accomplished! Simply look at the Switch 2 launch. Folks have been resorting to cartoonish levels of robbery to get their arms on it—that’s how in-demand this factor is—however Nintendo, with just a little little bit of forethought, has saved the scourge of scalpers to a boring roar. I suppose Meta most likely doesn’t care that a lot both manner, although. A sale is a sale, whether or not it finally ends up on eBay or in your dorky XR- and Xbox-loving head. Sadly, for those who’re within the latter camp, it appears to be like just like the aftermarket is your solely possibility proper now. Thanks, Zuckerberg. Simply since you seem like a dropshipper doesn’t imply you need to act like one.

See Meta Quest Xbox Edition at Best Buy