The Definitive F2P Launch Roadmap for Meta Quest | Free-to-Play Academy (Ep. 1)
In the first session of the Free-to-Play Academy series, Meta's Growth Insights team walks through the strategic foundation required to successfully launch and monetize a free-to-play app on Meta Quest. This session covers business model selection, pre-launch planning, retention-first design principles, and the marketing infrastructure needed to drive sustainable player acquisition. 💡 After viewing this session, you’ll understand how to: Choose the right monetization model (microtransactions, free-to-start, or subscriptions) Build a 6-12 month pre-launch timeline & post-launch content roadmap Build pre-launch social media presence and gather actionable feedback Optimize key art, trailers, and product pages using A/B testing Leverage Developer Dashboard tools for analytics, notifications, and community engagement 🎙️ FEATURING: Gabe Heiland, Chenelle Bremont, Richard Duck & Michelle Vo Recorded in July 2025 as part of the Meta Horizon Start program. 🎬 CHAPTERS �� INTRODUCTION 🕒 00:00 - Welcome to Free-to-Play Academy 🕒 01:29 - Free-to-Play Business Models and Microtransactions 🕒 03:02 - Free-to-Start, Demos, and Subscriptions 📈 F2P FOUNDATIONS 🕒 05:33 - Core Ingredients: Acquisition, Engagement, Retention, Monetization 🕒 12:03 - Acquisition Basics and Perception of Value 🎯 DEFINING QUALITY PLAYERS 🕒 15:55 - Defining and Finding Quality Users 🕒 19:27 - Creators, Influencers, and Designing for Virality 🛠️ LAUNCH PLANNING AND STORE PRESENCE 🕒 23:13 - Acquisition and Launch Strategy Missed Opportunities 🕒 26:11 - Store Presence, Key Art, and Trailers 🤝 COMMUNITY, DATA, AND NEXT STEPS 🕒 32:07 - Social Media Strategy, Community Building, and Feedback 🕒 39:38 - Developer Dashboard Tools, Analytics, and Reviews Workflow 🕒 45:16 - Six Actions for Success and Closing Thoughts 📚 RESOURCES ➡️ Developers Blog: https://developers.meta.com/resources/blog/ ➡️ Meta Quest Developer Hub: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/ts-mqdh/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH US ➡️ Sign up to get the latest news from Meta Horizon: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/newsletter 💡 LEARN ABOUT THE META HORIZON START PROGRAM The Meta Horizon Start program provides intermediate and advanced developers with the resources, hands-on support, and expert guidance needed to accelerate their app development. Join a thriving community to get the tools and go-to-market guidance you need to successfully deploy and grow your app on Meta Horizon OS. Apply to Start today: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/discover/programs/start
🔧Building Momentum with Meta Horizon’s Launch Features
The Meta Horizon Store is more competitive than ever, and what you do before you publish matters as much (if not more) as launch day itself. That’s why we’re excited to invite you to our latest live session, Building Momentum with Meta Horizon’s Launch Features, to help set you up for success What we’ll cover Corey, Richard, and Dan will walk you through platform requirements and the launch features that are available to you, including playtesting, Coming Soon pages, pre-orders, and Early Access. Learn how other developers have used these tools to build early momentum, and leave the session with a clear picture of what tools and resources Meta provides to support you. Get ready for the session The following resources are a great way to familiarize yourself with the launch features and strategies we’ll discuss in the session. We highly recommend you review these beforehand, or bookmark them for later. Shorten Time-to-First-Dollar with Meta Horizon Launch Tools: Blog post introducing launch features with developer perspectives Launch Features Guide: Self-paced guide with videos and “Golden Path” breakdown Resource Hub: Full curriculum including platform requirements through post-launch growth. Submit your questions for the Store team Let us know your burning questions about available Store features in this thread. Join on Zoom
Monthly Report misses dates in Dec
Hello, We’ve noticed occasional delays in report availability - for instance, as of today 09 Jan 2026, the December archive does not yet contain the file for 25.12.2025 - the day just skipped. Does anyone have a similar issue? Last time smiilar problem was in August. Ideally, it would be great to get access to in-app purchases information via API. Now there is not such functionality. We need to have these reports up to date at least.
Issue with users switching to Beta/Alpha channels and back to LIVE.
I am hearing a few cases form our users that have issues updating our application after switching from either Beta or Alpha, back to the LIVE version. It will sometimes not update even with a full reinstall. Are there any other developers here experiencing this issue of forcing the application to upload to the selected release channel?
Shorten Time-to-First-Dollar with Meta Horizon Launch Tools
Launching an app on the Meta Horizon Store is multi-faceted; it doesn’t just start on the day of publish. In fact, what you do prior to shipping your app on the Meta Horizon Store is more important than ever, and it demands a strategic launch that’ll help you stand out. A strong pre-launch makes titles easily discoverable before Day 0 and helps sustain momentum afterward. When discoverability is treated as an afterthought, developers tend to face an uphill battle for visibility post-launch. That’s why we’re excited to highlight our new video-enabled educational playbook, designed to help you think about different pre-launch strategies while you're still building and show how to generate anticipation, gather feedback, and drive early adoption. Below, we highlight each launch feature you can leverage, along with a recommended “Golden Path” sequence for effective pre-launch strategies to help you cut your time-to-first dollar. You’ll also get to hear from some other developers who have had success launching with these tools. Let’s dive in. Launch Features: Your Toolkit for a Strong Debut Meta provides a suite of launch features to help you maximize your app’s visibility and success. Here’s how you can leverage each tool: Playtesting: Gather early feedback while you’re still building Playtesting gives you a private space to gather feedback from real users. It’s your chance to validate gameplay, comfort, and performance early so you can refine with confidence. You can think of it as a small, closed test (more like micro-beta) that gives you a read on user preferences, validates core mechanics, and surfaces issues that only show up in the wild. Pro Tip: Start playtesting as early as possible—even before your app is polished. Respond to written reviews to build trust and show you’re listening to your community. "By carefully limiting access during early playtesting for UG, we were able to validate game mechanics, iterate on in-app purchase pricing, and fine-tune the experience to hit our target session length and other critical metrics. That data directly informed our go-to-market strategy. Ultimately, it’s not about whether the studio loves the game; it’s about whether players do. Testing early and often made all the difference." - Spencer Cook, CEO, Continuum "Trusted testers are worth their weight in gold. I’ve seen time and time again the power of having five to ten highly-engaged players playing directly with the developers, and I’d take this over a disparate group of thousands of players any day. The earlier this happens, the better the chances of launch success because our development decisions are grounded in real behavior and not our own assumptions about what players want." - Kyle Joyce, CEO, Enver Studio (Scary Baboon) Coming Soon Pages: Generate anticipation within 180 days of launch Building out a coming soon page lets you showcase your app up to 180 days before launch to help build excitement and provide users with an opportunity to wishlist your title. Keep in mind that a coming soon page is best for capturing interest, not creating it. Most visibility and growth will come from your own marketing efforts off-platform, like social posts, trailers, and community engagement. Pro Tip: A/B test your store assets (key art, trailer, description) to see what resonates with your audience. "The single biggest determinant of a game’s success is pre-marketing. Whether that’s on socials, or Coming Soon pages, you need to be able to drive your community to take an action like signing up for email alerts or a Discord community." - Kyle Joyce, CEO, Enver Studio (Scary Baboon) "Across titles like Starship Troopers VR, Hitman 3 VR, and BEATABLE, the Coming Soon page helped us inform our community and influencers early while capturing wishlists. It’s become a key tool for building awareness and demand well before launch." - XR Games Pre-orders: Secure early sales within 90 days of launch Pre-orders enable users to purchase paid apps up to 90 days before launch, while providing developers with a convenient way to convert interest into committed downloads and generate revenue before release. You’ll need a price, description, and marketing assets to set up pre-orders. "Offering pre-orders for Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded significantly increased launch-day sales by concentrating demand and excitement ahead of release. It gave us a much stronger day-one performance than previous launches." - XR Games Early Access: An open beta for ongoing refinement Launching your app with an Early Access label tells users that it’s still in development, but it also enables you to reach a broader audience, gather real feedback, and allow space to continue refining your app pre and post-launch. Apps best suited for Early Access are stable and enjoyable, but not fully polished. Remember, this is still your only chance to make a first impression, so consider carefully whether your app is ready for an audience. This feature can be especially beneficial for free-to-play (F2P) apps, where lowering the barrier to entry helps you reach more players and build momentum. And since the app is free, users tend to be more forgiving in their reviews. If you utilize the Early Access label, it is your responsibility to communicate what it means to your users. Pro Tip: Once you remove the Early Access label, it’s permanent—plan your transition carefully. "Early access let us grow a passionate community while we were still shaping the game. Their feedback sharpened our priorities and their enthusiasm created a foundation for us to build around." - Johnny Wing, General Manager, Orion Drift "Early access is fundamental to community building and game success. Of course it helps surface critical bugs early on but more importantly it creates a core group of highly invested players. The Quest Store thrives on the network effect. Players want to be the first to discover a game and be the one to recommend it to their friends and take a massive pride in discovering something early." - Kyle Joyce, CEO, Enver Studio (Scary Baboon) "Early access for BEATABLE was critical in building a passionate community before launch. It created early advocates who helped amplify the game organically the moment we went live." - XR Games The Golden Path: Putting it all together for a recommended launch sequence The Golden Path launch sequence can set you up for maximum exposure, interest, and conversions. Using each of these features we’ve covered today sequentially can put you on the path to build an audience early, sustain momentum, and set your app up for a strong debut. In the graphic above, you can see a recommended cadence on when to start leveraging each feature. Remember, this is just a recommendation; you can define your own strategy and determine what makes the most sense for your title. "Meta has created flexible launch paths that let developers choose what best fits their game. For UG, Early Access was the perfect way to set expectations around polish, bugs, and our roadmap toward a full future launch. It invited players to join us early, get excited about the vision, and actively influence what UG is becoming. This approach let us build hand-in-hand with our community and even helped spark a wave of user-generated content as players documented the game’s growth from its earliest days." - Spencer Cook, CEO, Continuum Incentivization and Best Practices Know your audience: We’ve broken down key audience behaviors and motivations that can help you plan effective content and marketing strategies for your VR apps. Reward early adopters: Offer exclusive content, discounts, or early access perks to wishlisters and pre-order customers. Leverage off-platform marketing: Most momentum comes from your own efforts—use social media, communities, and events to drive awareness. Communicate clearly: Use Developer Posts and direct messaging on platforms such as Discord to keep your audience engaged and informed. Measure and optimize: Use integrated analytics to track what’s working and adjust your strategy in real time. Ready to launch? Start building momentum today Don’t let your launch be just another date on the calendar. Utilize launch features and our new resource guide to build momentum, engage your community, and set your app up for lasting success.
Meta, Please Fix Meta Store
Do you know what this super long image is? This is the list when I sort by "Newest" in "Brawse All Games" on Meta Horizon App. This is sooooooooooooooooooooooo bad it brings tears to my eyes. I have to scroll and load over 20 times to reach the actual newest game (red circle one)!!! 🤪 This isn't because there are a ton of crappy gorilla games, but because it shows even unreleased games. Meta devs, ARE YOU SERIOUS??? Have you never considered usability? Someone might say, why not just look at "New Releases" section? Unfortunately, there are many new games that aren't displayed in "New Releases" section. Not only crappy gorilla games. Even properly made games don't show up!!! 👿 What a terrible store. Meta, display new games in New Release section!!! Even if game devs put in a lot of effort to create their game, if it's not listed in New Release section, it's less likely to be seen by people who don't know about the game. This means lower sales. If there is no profit, developers will leave. And lower sales means lower revenues for Meta. Who exactly is this store made for? Coming soon & Pre-order games have their own section. "Newest" in "Brawse All Games" should only show games that have been released. If there are far more games being released than there are now, are you going to make us scroll 100 times to check new games? 🤨 And when Meta fix broken search function? The store's bad usability and glitches have been pointed out countless times since old days. What on earth are Meta devs doing? It seems like they're reducing game sales and Meta's profits by broken store. Before selling hardware at a huge loss, why not try building a great store?How to Launch Successfully on the Meta Horizon Store
Launching successfully on the Meta Horizon Store takes more than a great app; it takes a rock solid go-to-market strategy and the discipline to start months before release. In this session, Meta Head of Store Operations Benjamin Miller lays out the same go-to-market principles his team uses to support hundreds of VR releases each year, from using Coming Soon and Preorder to build demand to running A/B tests that sharpen your trailer and key art. 💡 By viewing this session, you’ll learn how to: Signal Quality to Algorithms Convert Traffic to Users Leverage Off-Platform Growth Execute a Holistic Roadmap Recorded in February 2025 as part of the Meta Horizon Start program. 🎬 CHAPTERS 👋 INTRODUCTION 🕒 00:00 - Welcome & Agenda Overview 📈 MARKET STRATEGY 🕒 02:24 - The Current Opportunity & Challenge 🕒 05:41 - Why Launching Is Harder Than Ever 🕒 09:40 - The 6-Part Framework for Success 🕒 12:46 - Defining a Holistic Go-to-Market Strategy 🕒 18:00 - Setting Goals & Analyzing Competitors 🚀 PRE-LAUNCH & EXECUTION 🕒 21:22 - Coming Soon vs. Pre-Orders vs. Early Access 🕒 25:42 - How Pre-Launch Activity Impacts Ranking Algorithms 🕒 30:42 - Optimizing Your Product Detail Page (PDP) 🕒 32:18 - A/B Testing Your Assets (Do This Early) 🤝 COMMUNITY & GROWTH 🕒 33:52 - Engaging Users On & Off Platform 🕒 36:29 - Final Recap & Next Steps 📚 RESOURCES ➡️ Developers Blog: https://developers.meta.com/resources/blog/ ➡️ Meta Quest Developer Hub: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/ts-mqdh/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH US ➡️ Sign up to get the latest news from Meta Horizon: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/newsletter 💡 LEARN ABOUT THE META HORIZON START PROGRAM The Meta Horizon Start program provides intermediate and advanced developers with the resources, hands-on support, and expert guidance needed to accelerate their app development. Join a thriving community to get the tools and go-to-market guidance you need to successfully deploy and grow your app on Meta Horizon OS. Apply to Start today: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/discover/programs/start
