Why Your New Meta Quest May Not Work
The holidays are probably the worst time for a software update that would render Meta Quest headsets unusable, but that’s exactly the situation we’re in right now. According to posts on the Reddit and Meta forums, users are experiencing issues with new and existing Quest 2, Quest 3, and Quest 3S headsets, essentially locking them up with either an error message or an endless black screen after installing the latest software. .
It’s not entirely clear what’s causing the error, although a popular theory on the Meta forums seems to focus on devices that haven’t been used in a while. Essentially, while users running the latest version of Quest firmware seem to be able to update their devices just fine, those updating older firmware versions are more likely to run into problems (including me, although my headset is currently is several hundred miles away from me, so I’ll have to rely on user reports instead).
However, according to Reddit, this problem is also common on new headsets. Here, users are reporting that new headsets will try to update immediately after they are turned on, and an error message will appear after the update is complete.
It’s entirely possible that new headsets that have been sitting on the shelf for a while will also have outdated firmware, but there’s a common theme across the Reddit and Meta forums: a factory reset doesn’t help and should be avoided. Most likely, you simply won’t be able to boot and will be stuck on a black screen until you give up.
While Meta forum members say customer support was initially unable to help beyond offering to buy a refurbished Quest as a replacement, the company has since changed its position. Meta currently suggests that Quest owners experiencing the issue should try to reboot the headset by turning it off and then holding down the power button for 45 seconds before releasing it.
It’s not a guaranteed solution, but it’s better than nothing. Presumably a more robust solution is on the way, as Meta says it is working on a solution to the problem “as soon as possible.” disabled for any updates. Presumably, new Quest owners can also turn on their headset in a location without Wi-Fi to avoid the update, although the functionality of the new headset will be severely limited without Internet access.