Meta is turning sections of more than 50 Best Buy locations across the U.S. and Canada into dedicated Meta Labs. Each 900‑square‑foot space puts a trained specialist on hand to let shoppers try Quest VR headsets and the company’s AI‑powered smart glasses. The hands‑on approach replaces the usual boxed displays that have long hampered impulse buys today for shoppers directly.

Retail demos have been a weak spot for immersive hardware; consumers often balk at spending several hundred dollars on gear they’ve never experienced. By embedding experiential kiosks inside an established electronics chain, Meta hopes to convert curiosity into sales and give Best Buy a fresh differentiator amid declining foot traffic. The rollout begins in California stores before expanding to Minnesota, New Jersey, South Carolina and Ohio.

The move signals Meta’s shift from pure online sales to a blended retail model, a strategy rivals like Apple have refined with in‑store experiences. If the labs deliver convincing demos, they could boost Quest’s market share and give Meta’s upcoming glasses a viable entry point. Early metrics will reveal whether the concept reshapes how immersive tech reaches mainstream buyers.