Sales of the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset have been temporarily halted globally, with the company launching a “voluntary joint recall” in the United States and Canada.
The recall comes after complaints from what Facebook describes as a “0.01%” issue with the Quest 2’s foam cover, which rests against your head while using the VR headset. Some users reported issues ranging from swelling, bumps and redness, according to the Oculus blog, and the issue was already serious enough that Oculus had engaged dermatologists to investigate.
“These experts have advised us that this irritation is not an allergic reaction, nor is it a serious medical condition and it should go away by itself. However, we’re sharing more information about it out of an abundance of caution,” Facebook wrote.
However, the irritation apparently is serious enough that Facebook is issuing a recall of the headset’s “removable foam facial interface with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada”. The foam cover isn’t being recalled anywhere outside of those two countries just yet, but sales of the VR headset have been halted to give Oculus time to replace the silicon cover for future Quest 2 sales.
“Oculus has recently taken actions in response to a very small percentage of users reporting a generally mild skin irritation where the foam portion of the Quest 2 facial interface rests on the skin. The safety and comfort of every customer is our top priority. As part of this commitment we are now offering a free silicone cover to Quest 2 headset and Quest 2 Fit Pack owners,” Oculus wrote.
Australian users can submit a request via this page to get their free silicon cover, which fits over the Quest 2’s existing removable foam cover. The FAQ page adds that if you are experiencing any irritation, users should “immediately stop using the removable foam facial interface” until they receive a free silicone cover from Facebook.
The Oculus Quest 2 will go back on sale internationally from August 24. A new SKU will be introduced with 128GB storage at the same time, replacing the current 64GB headset as the base edition. All Quest 2 models from August 24 will ship with the new silicone cover in-box, too.
“We hope the larger storage size will give people more flexibility to instantly access and manage more content on a single device, while the new silicone cover will give people more ways to have a comfortable experience with both the 128GB and 256GB Quest,” Facebook wrote.
Leave a Reply