It’s bad news for Christmas shoppers who want to enjoy that shiny new Meta Quest they just unwrapped from under their tree this year. The company seems to be suffering from a bad firmware rollout that timed itself to drop right around Christmas. Terrible timing for something to go wrong as it only amplifies the disappointment that users are suffering from.
The issue doesn’t seem to be affecting everyone, but it is enough to create quite a ruckus online and includes older and current models (ie, Meta Quest 2, 3, and 3S). Users are downloading the new firmware update to find a critical error running across their display. Leading to an unusable product and some wondering if their unit is toast.
It appears that the update was meant to help weed out anyone trying to mod their headsets, but it doesn’t seem like it was a stable attempt if it is affecting (potentially) unmodded units. Many users claim their headset was bricked right out of the box the moment it forced them to download the firmware as a required update during the initial setup process.
Meta has said that it is looking into the issue and is asking users not to factory reset their units as it may make matters worse. It is currently working on a solution to the issue and will likely announce the solution in the next firmware rollout. So keep an eye on emails or other communications from the company via places like X (Twitter) for when this happens. You can also reach out to Meta’s support for recommendations or solutions once they arise.
In the meantime, if you just got the headset for the holidays and it falls within its return policy, it may be wise to take it back to the store for an exchange. Then wait to set up the new headset until a working firmware has been released by Meta. It isn’t the most ideal solution, but at least you’ll know it isn’t bricked as it sits waiting.