Meta Provides Complimentary Quest 3S Replacements After Software Update Issue Renders Some Headsets Unusable

One of the most frustrating things that can happen on Christmas morning is having to deal with downloading updates or waiting for devices to charge. Yet, even more annoying is when an update completely disables your device before you get the chance to use it. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to several Meta Quest users last week. In response, Meta is offering affected users new devices and Horizon Store credit as compensation.

On December 25th, Reddit was flooded with reports from new Quest headset owners who encountered a major error after attempting to install the latest update. The error message ominously warned, “Your device is corrupt. It can’t be trusted,” leaving users with no options to reset their headset and effectively rendering the device useless.

The culprit appears to be Quest’s newest v72 update, released by Meta earlier this month. Feedback from users suggests that not only brand new devices were affected, but also older headsets that hadn’t been updated for a while.

Here’s what Meta is saying in response to the issue on a user help thread: “We’ve identified a software update problem causing Quest 2, 3, and 3S headsets to become unresponsive and fail to start correctly. We are actively working on a fix for all users, but most of you should now find your device functioning normally.”

Image: [A comparison between the Quest 3S and Quest 3, courtesy of Meta]

Despite this glitch only affecting a small number of new headsets, Meta has temporarily halted its latest firmware update. This pause means that users setting up a new Quest device should no longer face this issue. For those whose headsets are already bricked, Meta is stepping in by sending replacement devices along with some Horizon Store credit as a gesture of goodwill.

“We’re aware that a limited number of Quest 3S devices are encountering a software update issue that causes them to not function and fail to boot properly,” Meta stated in a ‘Next Steps’ thread aimed at Quest 3S users. “If your device is affected, we’ll replace it at no charge and provide you with Horizon Store credit as a sign of our commitment.”

Although Meta responded quickly to the situation, the initial inconvenience led some users to return their malfunctioning headsets to retailers, anxiously hoping for a functional replacement. On Reddit, a user named ‘Physical-Slip5049’ expressed how this mishap ruined their son’s Christmas.

“I purchased a second-hand Quest 2 from eBay, never used, as a present for my 9-year-old son. On Christmas morning, he started up the device only to be forced into updating it,” Physical-Slip5049 shared. “After following Meta’s instructions to reset—having never used VR—I found it hard-bricked. It had only been on for five minutes since it was first bought. My son waited eagerly for three months but spent Christmas disheartened and in tears.”

Additionally, it seems Meta is offering refurbished units and store credit to those with out-of-warranty Quest 2 headsets affected by this issue.

We’re keeping a close eye on how this situation unfolds. If you’ve been impacted, share your experience in the comments below, and keep us updated on how Meta is assisting you.