Meta Provides Complimentary Quest 3S Replacements After Software Update Causes Malfunctions

One of the least pleasant surprises on Christmas morning is dealing with updates and charging needs for your new gadgets. But what’s even more frustrating is discovering that a required update can render your device useless before you even get a chance to use it. That’s the unfortunate situation some users encountered recently, prompting Meta to step in with replacement devices and credit for the Horizon Store.

Reports on Reddit from December 25th detailed how some new Quest headset owners were hit with a serious glitch. After a mandatory update, they were greeted with a dire warning: “Your device is corrupt. It can’t be trusted.” With this error, resetting the headset became impossible, essentially bricking the device.

The culprit seems to be the latest v72 update for the Quest devices, which Meta rolled out earlier this month. User experiences show the issue affected not only new headsets but also older ones that hadn’t been updated in quite some time.

Meta addressed the glitch in a user help thread, stating: “We’ve identified a software update issue causing some Quest 2/3/3S headsets to be unresponsive and unable to start correctly. We’re actively working on resolving this for everyone, but in most cases, you should be able to use your device normally now.”

Upon seeing these reports, Meta halted the distribution of its latest firmware update. This move likely spared new Quest users who hadn’t gone through the setup process yet. For those facing the problem, Meta is sending out replacement devices and including Horizon Store credit to try and make amends.

In a follow-up thread directed at Quest 3S users, Meta elaborated: “We understand a limited number of Quest 3S headsets are experiencing this issue, causing them to be unresponsive and unable to boot properly. If your device is among those affected, we’ll send you a replacement at no cost, along with Horizon Store credit as our way of supporting you.”

Despite Meta’s swift response, the mishap had already spoiled some users’ experiences, with several deciding to return the faulty headsets in hopes of avoiding the same issue again. One user on Reddit, ‘Physical-Slip5049’, recounted how it spoiled his son’s holiday.

“I purchased a pristine, unused Quest 2 from eBay as a Christmas gift for my 9-year-old. He opened it on Christmas morning, set it up, and the first thing it needed was an update,” shared ‘Physical-Slip5049’. “Being new to VR, I tried to follow Meta’s reset instructions. Now it’s completely bricked. In its short two-year life, it only worked for 5 minutes. My son had been eagerly waiting for this day for three months, and instead spent half of Christmas crying, unable to enjoy his gift.”

Additionally, Meta is reaching out to owners of out-of-warranty headsets, like the Quest 2, and offering refurbished units along with store credit as compensation.

We’ll continue to monitor the effects of this update issue closely. If you’ve encountered similar problems, share your experience in the comments, and let us know what steps Meta has taken for you.