Meta Lab @ Best Buy expands to more than 50 stores this summer

Meta Platforms is taking its wearable technology out of standalone stores and into Best Buy. Starting this June, Best Buy will introduce Meta Lab @ Best Buy in more than 50 locations nationwide, adding dedicated, in-store experiential spaces designed to let shoppers try Meta’s AI glasses and virtual reality headsets before buying.

Best Buy’s corporate announcement says each Meta Lab space will be about 900 square feet and will operate as a “store-in-store” environment with interactive demos and displays, smart mirrors for virtual try-ons, and personalized fittings. The retailer also said every Meta Lab location will have dedicated Meta Sales Specialists to guide shoppers through demos and assist with fit and setup.

The lineup highlighted for the new in-store areas includes Ray-Ban Meta and Meta Ray-Ban Display AI glasses, Oakley Meta glasses, and Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S VR headsets. Best Buy described the demos as “immersive,” including opportunities for shoppers to experience Quest 3 in active entertainment scenarios and to try Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, including control using hand movements without taking out a phone.

In addition to product try-on stations, Best Buy’s announcement emphasizes two retail interaction features. It says shoppers can interact with “built-in prompts” while trying on Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses, using display prompts that demonstrate how Meta AI can be used in everyday life. It also says customers can use smart mirrors to virtually try different shades and styles of Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses, browsing options with a touchscreen and using photo comparisons.

Best Buy executives framed the expansion as a response to customer demand for seeing AI glasses in person. The announcement cited an internal Best Buy survey indicating that more than 50% of Best Buy customers want to see Meta’s AI glasses in person before making a purchase. Patrick McGinnis, Best Buy’s chief merchandising officer, said the Meta Lab concept is designed as an experience customers cannot find at other retailers, setting “a new standard” for exploring advanced consumer technology.

Meta will also position its in-store learning experience as part of the product pitch. Christa Wittenberg, Meta’s vice president of global retail sales, called the spaces “immersive, hands-on” environments intended for discovery, adding that customers should leave “excited about what’s possible.”

Best Buy said the “first Meta Lab” experiences launch this June, with additional locations rolling out through the summer and into the holiday season. The retailer named early markets that include San Carlos, California; Roseville, Minnesota; Woodland Park, New Jersey; Greenville, South Carolina; and Columbus, Ohio, indicating a multi-region rollout rather than a single-city test.

The announcement does not provide specifics on how many total stores will open by the end of the summer window versus later in the holiday season, nor does it disclose pricing, promotional terms, or expected sales volume. It also does not detail how long individual demo sessions last or whether appointments will be required in all locations.

Still, the partnership underscores a broader retail shift as big-box electronics stores carve out space for faster-moving consumer hardware categories. For Meta, Meta Lab @ Best Buy functions as a low-friction “try before you buy” channel for AI glasses and VR headsets, while for Best Buy it adds a high-touch, brand-led experience that can differentiate its assortment beyond traditional demonstrations. What to watch next is whether the rollout broadens to additional store formats and how quickly inventory and demo capacity scale as the summer rollout expands beyond initial markets.