Everybody loves limited-edition stuff. There’s Sony’s thirtieth anniversary PS5, or Analogue’s many restricted version 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 client, and it’s a scalper. For proof of that, see Meta’s lately launched Xbox-branded Quest 3S.
See Meta Quest Xbox Version at Finest Purchase
In case you missed it, Meta’s new limited-edition Quest 3S bundle only recently bought out, which on the floor feels like a terrific factor for VR and XR. You might be tempted to say, “Oh, wow! Individuals 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 common value I’m seeing on eBay is about $600, although typically somewhat extra or rather less.
Right here is the unhappy state of affairs on eBay as of the time of typing these phrases:
The listing goes on and on, sadly, which tells me one factor: the scalpers had a discipline day with this factor. And that’s simply type of unhappy. It’s not unhappy that somebody would wish to earn a living 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 perhaps somewhat unhappy—as somebody who borders on stated XR nerd id—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 planet, 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 somewhat assist from an Xbox advertising and marketing gimmick. However as all the time, the almighty aftermarket prevails.
To be honest, I’m positive not the entire gross sales had been scalpers making an attempt to make a buck off the XR headset’s rarity. Some individuals, I presume, purchased it as a result of it’s a reasonably whole lot for moving into XR—you get a modern black headset with Xbox inexperienced particulars, Meta’s Elite Strap in 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 individuals 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. 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 basically comical.. pic.twitter.com/b5ER1xIfqe
— SadlyItsDadley (@SadlyItsBradley) June 27, 2025
Pay attention, scalpers are an inevitable reality 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 stated that it wouldn’t have been good to see somewhat effort on Meta’s half to forestall that. It may be finished! Simply have a look at the Change 2 launch. Individuals have been resorting to cartoonish ranges of theft to get their palms on it—that’s how in-demand this factor is—however Nintendo, with somewhat 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 means, 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, if you happen to’re within the latter camp, it seems just like the aftermarket is your solely choice proper now. Thanks, Zuckerberg. Simply since you seem like a dropshipper doesn’t imply you must act like one.
