Meta Swaps Out Certain Quests After Declaring Them ‘Unresponsive’

During the holiday season, some owners of Meta’s Quest headsets were left frustrated when their devices unexpectedly became non-functional. In response, Meta has started replacing certain units to address the problem.

The issue was acknowledged on Meta’s help site, stating:

“We’ve identified a software update glitch affecting some Quest 2/3/3S headsets, leaving them unable to start properly. We’re actively addressing the problem, and most users should now find their devices functioning as expected. If your device remains unresponsive, please follow the instructions below for assistance. We appreciate your patience.”

Mark Rabkin, who oversees HorizonOS and Quest gadgets at Meta, shared on X.com that most users should be back up and running. He assured those still facing difficulties to reach out to customer support for solutions.

Initially, those who found their headsets ‘bricked’ due to a botched software update were told by Meta support that purchasing a new device might be necessary. However, things seem to be looking up for some, as they have now been offered free replacement options for their headsets.

On December 31, I decided to dust off my old Quest 2, only to find it refused to work correctly. After countless attempts using Meta’s Software Update Tool and hitting the factory reset button repeatedly, I was still at a stalemate.

Diving into Meta’s support site, I followed the steps for the Quest 2. There’s a “product-claim” page where you can input your serial number to see if you’re eligible for a replacement. After entering mine, I discovered it wasn’t eligible. While the headset isn’t entirely dead, it stubbornly refuses to show the setup screen for more than a fleeting moment.

We’ve reached out to Meta to get an idea of how many headsets have been affected by this issue and how many replacements are on offer. With so many Quest 2 units being powered up post-holiday after long periods of inactivity, we’re eager to get more details on how widespread this problem truly is and how Meta plans to fix it.