Oculus Quest 2 sales are paused as Facebook adds a silicon cover to the boxes of every new headset, following reports of facial skin irritation with the original foam.
Facebook says it is “participating in a voluntary recall of the Quest 2 removable facial interface in coordination with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).”
The CPSC wrote “Consumers who experience a skin irritation or reaction should immediately stop using the recalled foam facial interface, and all consumers should contact Facebook Technologies to receive a free silicone cover. Facebook Technologies is contacting all Quest 2 users directly.” The CPSC said about “4 million” facial interfaces are affected by the recall, plus 172,600 in Canada, sold between October 2020 and July 2021 — the interfaces come with each headset sold as well as sold separately for $20 or for $40 as part of a Fit Pack.
The company plans to start up sales again on August 24th with a new 128 GB entry level model at the same $299 price as the original 64 GB version. A higher end model with 256 GB of storage will still sell for $399. According to the company, all new headsets in both storage capacities will come with the silicone cover “that fits over the Quest 2 foam facial interface” and existing owners “can learn how to request a silicone cover here.”
We first reported on this issue in December when Facebook said it “received reports of skin irritation from about 0.01% of people using Quest 2″ and “the vast majority of cases are mild and should resolve on their own.” The company provided an update in April saying it changed some of its processes and irritation was “even less likely”, though in May sales were temporarily halted on Amazon in Europe in response to a European Commission filing related to the issue.
In response to questions, this week a Facebook spokesperson told UploadVR the company received a total of approximately 5,700 reports of skin irritation from customers in the United States. Facebook provided the following prepared statement:
“While these reports represent a very small percentage of Quest 2 users, and the majority of reports remain unverified, we want every user to have a great experience with their Quest 2 headsets. That is why we started our voluntary facial interface replacement program in December, and are now rolling out the silicone cover for all Quest 2 and Quest 2 Fit Kit owners globally.”
The following photo below from an affected buyer was provided to UploadVR earlier this year showing his reaction to the foam:
Quest 2 is Facebook’s only remaining VR headset after ending sales of Rift S and Oculus Go. Facebook recently announced that Lone Echo II from its studio Ready At Dawn releases on August 24th for the Rift platform, which Quest 2 can access. Long-awaited sequel I Expect You To Die 2 also releases for all major headsets, including Quest 2, on August 24th.
Article updated within 30 minutes of publication with additional information.
