Meta Provides Free Quest 3S Replacement After Software Update Renders Some Headsets Inoperable

One thing that can put a damper on Christmas morning is the tedious task of downloading updates and waiting for batteries to charge. Yet, imagine finding yourself facing an even worse scenario: downloading an update and having it completely incapacitate your brand-new device before you even get to use it. This unfortunate situation reportedly happened to several folks last week. In response, Meta has stepped up, offering replacement devices and Horizon Store credit to affected users.

On December 25th, a flood of reports hit Reddit from new Quest owners who were met with a critical error while trying to install the latest update. The dreaded message? “Your device is corrupt. It can’t be trusted.” With this message flashing, users found themselves unable to reset their headsets, effectively rendering them useless.

The trouble seems to be linked to the latest v72 update for Quest, which was rolled out by the company earlier in the month. Reports highlight that the issue struck not just new headsets but also older models that hadn’t been updated for a while.

Meta addressed the situation in a user help thread with this statement: “We’ve discovered a software update issue that caused some Quest 2/3/3S headsets to be unresponsive and unable to start up correctly. We are actively working on resolving the issue for all users, but in most cases, you are now able to use your device normally.”

Initial reports suggested the problem affected only a small number of new headsets. After Meta took action to halt the firmware update, new users who were yet to set up their devices could likely breathe easy. For those who ended up with bricked devices, Meta is offering replacements along with Horizon Store credit as a gesture of goodwill.

“We are aware that a limited number of Quest 3S devices are experiencing a software update issue that is causing headsets to be unresponsive and unable to boot up properly,” the company stated in their ‘Next Steps’ thread for Quest 3S owners. “If your device is affected by the issue, we’ll send you a replacement Quest device at no cost to you. We’ll also issue you Horizon Store credit as a token of our commitment to supporting you.”

While Meta moved quickly to address the problem, the damage wasn’t entirely undone. Some users opted to return their faulty headsets, holding out hope that the next one wouldn’t suffer the same fate. One such user, a Redditor known as ‘Physical-Slip5049’, recounted how the issue ruined their son’s Christmas.

“I bought a never before used second-hand Quest 2 from eBay as a Christmas present for my 9-year-old son,” Physical-Slip5049 shared. “He opened it Christmas morning, started it, and was forced to update it. Having never used a VR headset before, I tried to reset it after following Meta’s own instructions. Now it’s hard-bricked. It’s been turned on for just 5 minutes in its entire 2-year life. My son spent 3 months waiting to play this but couldn’t use it when it came to the big day. He spent half of Christmas day crying and upset.”

In response, users have reported that Meta is replacing out-of-warranty headsets, like the Quest 2, with refurbished units, while also providing store credit.

We’re keeping a close watch on how this unfolds. If you’ve been affected by this issue, share your experience in the comments and let us know how Meta is handling it for you.