The holidays are probably the absolute worst time for a software update to render Meta’s Quest headsets unusable, but that’s exactly the situation we’re in right now. According to posts on Reddit and Meta’s own forums, users are experiencing issues with brand new and existing Quest 2, Quest 3, and Quest 3S headsets essentially locking themselves into either an error message or a never-ending black screen after installing their most recent software.
It’s not entirely clear what’s causing the bug, although a popular theory across Meta’s forums seems to center on devices that haven’t been used in a while. Essentially, while users running the most recent Quest firmware seem to be able to update their devices just fine, those updating from older versions of the firmware are more likely to encounter problems (that would include me, although my headset is currently a few hundred miles away from me, so I’ll have to rely on user reports instead).
However, the issue also seems to be common on newer headsets, according to Reddit. Here, users report that brand new headsets will attempt the update as soon as turning on, locking into an error message as soon as the update completes.
It’s possible new headsets that might have been sitting on a shelf for a while would also be running outdated firmware, but one common thread across both Reddit and Meta’s forums is that factory resets aren’t helping, and should be avoided. Chances are you’ll just be unable to boot up, instead being stuck on a black screen until you give up.
While Meta forum members say customer service originally failed to help beyond suggesting they buy a refurbished Quest as a replacement, the company has since changed its tune. Currently, Meta is suggesting Quest owners experiencing the issue attempt to reboot the headset by powering it down, then holding the power button for 45 seconds before releasing it.
It’s not a guaranteed fix, but it’s better than nothing. Supposedly, a more robust solution is on the way, as Meta says it’s working to resolve the problem “as soon as possible.”
For now, redditors experiencing the issue are advising new Quest owners avoid turning on their headsets while existing Quest owners should hold off on any updates. Presumably, new Quest owners could also turn their headset on in a location without wifi to avoid the update, although functionality on a new headset will be severely limited without internet access.