Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook, has begun a massive marketing campaign to promote the opening of its first physical store, where consumers can try on its mixed reality (MR) headgear in person.

The Menlo Park-based company said that its 1,550-square-foot Meta Store, equipped with in-house experiences and a selection of smart products, would open for business on May 9, 2022.

This Meta’s new project, located near Meta’s Reality Labs offices in Burlingame, California, will feature a library of VR experiences for its Quest 2 and promote its Portal house communication systems and Ray-Ban Storie’s smart spectacles.

All but the latter gadget are accessible for purchase via the in-person shop and new online site, as its Stories smart glasses are only accessible at the Ray-Ban store. Visitors will learn to use Ray-Ban Stories to record and share experiences without pulling the user out of the moment. At the store, customers may try on a variety of designs, colors, and lens variants to get the right fit. Meta Portal is also available in a separate demo area.

The experience store will also have a big Meta Quest 2 exhibit and demonstration area, where visitors will be able to test out the company’s immersive gear with some of its most popular gaming titles. Visitors will be able to play famous VR games such as Beat Saber, GOLF+, Real VR Fishing, and others on a big, wall-to-wall curved Digital display that will display what the player is experiencing in the headset. Guests will also be able to view a 30-second mixed reality movie of their demo session, which they may then share with their friends.

The company’s objective with the Meta Store is to show people what’s possible with the goods today while also looking into the future as the metaverse comes alive – maybe demystifying the notion in the process