Waking up on Christmas morning only to find yourself caught in the cycle of charging batteries and downloading updates is frustrating enough. However, there’s nothing quite as disappointing as downloading an update only to find that your device is now unusable. Unfortunately, this was the reality for several unfortunate users last week when their devices were effectively bricked by a necessary update. In response, Meta has promised new devices and credited the Horizon Store to make amends.
On December 25th, Reddit was inundated with complaints from new Quest headset owners. These users were met with a serious error message upon installing the latest update: “Your device is corrupt. It can’t be trusted.” This left their devices completely inoperable, with no option to reset and rendering them as good as useless.
The culprit seems to be the Quest’s v72 update released earlier this month. Users have pointed out that the issue didn’t just hit brand-new headsets but also older ones that hadn’t been updated for a while. Meta addressed this situation in a user help thread, explaining the situation further.
“We’ve identified a software update problem that rendered some Quest 2, 3, and 3S headsets unresponsive and unable to power on correctly. We’re actively working on a fix for all users. However, many should now find their device functioning correctly,” Meta assured.
Meta published a picture depicting the Quest 3S and Quest 3 side by side to provide visual clarity on the affected models.
Though the problem only seemed to affect a small fraction of new devices, Meta halted the troubled firmware update. If you haven’t yet set up your new Quest, you should be spared this ordeal. For those who weren’t as lucky, Meta is replacing bricked headsets and giving out Horizon Store credits to ease the situation.
In their ‘Next Steps’ thread aimed at Quest 3S users, Meta stated: “We’ve found that some Quest 3S headsets are having issues due to a software update that makes them unresponsive. If you’re experiencing this, we’ll send you a replacement Quest device free of charge. Additionally, you’ll receive Horizon Store credit as our way of showing support.”
Meta’s swift response didn’t erase the frustration. Some users chose to return their faulty headsets, hoping replacement units wouldn’t suffer from the same defect. A Reddit user, ‘Physical-Slip5049’, expressed his disappointment over a spoiled Christmas experience.
He shared, “I got a never-used second-hand Quest 2 from eBay for my 9-year-old as a Christmas gift. We booted it up on Christmas morning only to see it forced to update. I followed Meta’s reset guidance, and now it’s bricked. It had only been on for 5 minutes in its lifetime. My son eagerly awaited this gift for months, and it ended in tears as he couldn’t enjoy it on the big day.”
Additionally, it appears Meta is offering refurbished units and store credits to those with out-of-warranty devices like the Quest 2.
We’re keeping a keen eye on how this unfolds. If you’ve been impacted by this fiasco, share in the comments how Meta’s assisting you in resolving the issue.
