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 sort 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 appears like a terrific factor for VR and XR. Chances are you’ll be tempted to say, “Oh, wow! Folks actually like XR headsets, huh?” However earlier than you try this, it could even be value 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, of us—and so they 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 slightly extra or rather less.
Right here is the unhappy state of affairs on eBay as of the time of typing these phrases:
The checklist goes on and on, sadly, which tells me one factor: the scalpers had a area day with this factor. And that’s simply type of unhappy. It’s not unhappy that somebody would wish to make cash 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. However 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 possibly slightly unhappy—as somebody who borders on stated XR nerd identification—that the race to being out of inventory might not truly be pushed by actual demand. XR headsets, whereas not probably the most essential gadget on the earth, are fairly cool and deserve extra shine than they get, in my humble opinion. It will have been good to see them actually break by way of with slightly assist from an Xbox advertising 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 reasonably whole lot for moving into XR—you get a glossy black headset with Xbox inexperienced particulars, Meta’s Elite Strap in your head, and a limited-edition Xbox controller to high 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 by which somebody appears to have pulled the set off on this bundle only for the controller. Truthfully… respect. That’s way 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 basically comical.. pic.twitter.com/b5ER1xIfqe
— SadlyItsDadley (@SadlyItsBradley) June 27, 2025
Hear, scalpers are an inevitable reality of life these days once 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 stated that it wouldn’t have been good to see slightly effort on Meta’s half to stop that. It may be carried out! Simply look at the Switch 2 launch. Folks have been resorting to cartoonish levels of robbery to get their fingers on it—that’s how in-demand this factor is—however Nintendo, with slightly little bit of forethought, has saved the scourge of scalpers to a boring roar. I assume Meta most likely doesn’t care that a lot both method, 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, in the event you’re within the latter camp, it appears to be like just like the aftermarket is your solely choice proper now. Thanks, Zuckerberg. Simply since you seem like a dropshipper doesn’t imply you need to act like one.
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