Some Meta Quest headsets are being hacked by a software update, but a fix is being rolled out
- Meta Quest 2, 3 and 3S headsets are having issues
- Applying updates prevents the headsets from booting up
- Meta recognizes the problem and sends a solution
If you’ve decided to fire up your Meta Quest 3 for some holiday gaming, you don’t want to see it broken by a software update – but that’s exactly what’s happening with the Quest 3, as well as the older Meta Quest 2 and the newer Meta Quest 3S.
As reported by UploadVRusers have taken to the Internet to complain after a new software patch rendered their headsets unusable. You can read some stories about Meta Quest woe on the website Meta-community forums and on Reddit.
There seems to be a common thread in that a lot of the complaints are coming from people who haven’t used their headset in a while, and it’s possible that an outdated firmware version at the lowest level is causing the software update at the top to fail .
Some users say that applying the v71 and v72 updates put their Meta Quest headsets in a boot loop, and that factory reset of the devices means they won’t turn on at all – so we’re talking about a serious problem for VR gamers.
Solve the problem
According to the Upload VR article was Meta’s first piece of advice to those affected to try powering up their headset while holding the power button for 45 seconds and then releasing it – something you can try if you’ve been experiencing any issues.
The Meta support site has since been updated to say “in most cases you can now use your device normally”. That suggests software updates are now working again, which is supported by a new note posted on Reddit.
If you’re still having issues, Meta says you should contact the support team through official channels. what you can do here. It’s not immediately clear how to restore a bricked device, aside from the boot method mentioned above.
Hopefully everything is back to normal now, but it has been a frustrating few days for those who have had this problem. What makes it even more frustrating is that v72 also includes some really useful new features.