Facebook To Shutter 200 Best Buy Oculus Rift VR Demo Stations; Will They Close The Business Altogether?

Reports are saying that around 200 demo stations for Facebook’s virtual reality product, the Oculus Rift, are to be closed. Business Insider has learned that the demo stations across Best Buy locations were ordered to be closed because of “store performance.”

Multiple Best Buy pop-up workers told the news site that it was quite common for them to not give a single demonstration for a number of days. Oculus spokeswoman Andrea Schubert also confirmed the closings as well.

“We’re making some seasonal changes and prioritizing demos at hundreds of Best Buy locations in larger markets. You can still request Rift demos at hundreds of Best Buy stores in the US and Canada. We still believe the best way to learn about VR is through a live demo. We’re going to find opportunities to do regular events and pop ups in retail locations and local communities throughout the year,” she added.

New York Magazine said the shuttering of the demo stations will not bode well not only with Facebook, but the virtual reality industry as a whole. The mag pointed out that neither VR leaders Oculus and HTC Vive has yet to exceed sales expectations, and that demand for the wearables has been reduced since 2016.

But if we believe Best Buy spokesperson Carly Charlson, this is only a setback. According to her, the affected Best Buy locations still have plans to sell the Oculus headset and the Oculus Touch controllers.