A recent software update led to several Meta Quest headsets becoming non-functional. Initially, Meta seemed indifferent, stating that they would not address the problem for out-of-warranty Quest 2/3/3S models…
It’s no surprise that customers were frustrated when Meta effectively rendered their devices useless, expecting them to purchase replacements instead.
Like many others, my headset crashed during the update attempt on December 5th. I reached out to Meta support, and after some troubleshooting, they told me the headset was dead and that I would need to buy a new one.
Others highlighted that this was a shortsighted decision, even from a business perspective.
The device cost me £200. In Q3 2024, Meta reported a profit exceeding $15 billion. That’s almost $2000 each second!
If 1000 users had their devices permanently bricked out of warranty, and if we estimate the net value of each device to Meta at $100, they could replace all of them with only a 50-second hit to their profits.
Meta has probably spent more time (and thus more money paying personnel) arguing and negotiating over these support cases than it would have taken to simply replace the devices and mitigate this PR disaster.
Particularly considering that this issue affected devices many purchased as holiday gifts.
Now, it seems the company has recognized the folly of its earlier approach and is working on a solution.
We’ve pinpointed a software update issue that caused certain Quest 2/3/3S headsets to become unresponsive and unable to power on correctly. We are actively addressing the problem for all affected users, and most cases should now allow normal use of the device.
If your device remains unresponsive, we are here to assist. For Quest 3S users, click the link for next steps. If you own a Quest 2 or 3, please contact us for support. We appreciate your patience.
Photo by Adrià García Sarceda on Unsplash
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