Meta Swaps Out Quests Declared ‘Unresponsive’

Just around the holiday season, Meta found itself in a bit of a prickly situation when some Quest headset users discovered that their devices resembled expensive paperweights—completely non-functional. Meta updated its help site, acknowledging the glitch. It turns out that a software update went awry, causing issues with Quest 2, 3, and 3S headsets. While the company is diligently working on a solution, most users are now reportedly able to use their headsets as expected. For those still facing issues, Meta suggests clicking a link on their site for further assistance. Patience and support from the community are greatly appreciated.

Mark Rabkin, the VP pioneering HorizonOS and essential Quest devices at Meta, took to X.com to share his thoughts. He mentioned that almost everyone impacted can now use their device without a hitch. Still, if someone’s still in a bind, customer support stands ready to assist and get things back to normal.

Initially, Quest owners whose headsets stopped working after a botched update indicated that Meta support advised them to purchase a new device. However, a turn of events now offers some affected users a route to secure a complimentary replacement.

On December 31, I dusted off a Quest 2 unit I hadn’t used in ages, hoping it would spring to life. Sadly, even after laboriously working with Meta’s Software Update Tool and a factory reset, it wouldn’t cooperate. I navigated to Meta’s support page, following the Quest 2-specific guide. The site allows owners of Quest 2, 3, and 3S headsets to check if they are eligible for a replacement by simply entering their serial number. Unfortunately, my Quest 2 didn’t qualify for a replacement. I haven’t dived deeper into customer support just yet, but my device flickers the setup screen for just a heartbeat before failing again.

We’ve reached out to Meta for specifics on how many headsets fell victim to this issue and just how many replacements they are handing out. With celebrations like Christmas and New Year’s coinciding with Quest 2s stirring from lengthy dormancy, we’re eager to gather more information on how significant this glitch truly is and how user-friendly Meta’s resolution will be.