Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap Is Now Shipping Again
Oculus's latest standalone VR system should be no-brainer upgrade to the Quest line but its existence has sadly been marred by some controversies. Some of it isn't the Oculus Quest 2's fault, to be fair, as Facebook's takeover has been anything but smooth. There are, however, some complaints about the device itself as well as its official accessories, notably the Elite Strap and the Elite Strap with Battery that are now finally available again after the quality of the straps were put into question.
Although technically an accessory, the $49 Elite Strap comes as a highly recommended purchase. It replaces the cloth strap of the Quest 2 with something more comfortable and, at least in theory, more durable and reliable. Unfortunately, just like the overall Quest 2 experience, things aren't what they seemed.
A growing number of owners have reported Elite Straps of both kinds snapping and breaking. Considering the strap helps secure the $300 VR headset on your head, that is definitely a worrying discovery for users. To its credit, Facebook immediately stopped orders for the straps and advised remaining ones to cancel theirs, despite its claims that it only affects a small percentage of its customers.
It then told UploadVR that the root cause was a processing inconsistency during the manufacturing of the Elite Straps. Those have not been resolved and new, hopefully, stronger, straps are starting to go back in stock. And to reassure Quest 2 owners, Facebook is extending the Elite Strap's warranty from one year to two, starting from the date of purchase or delivery, depending on how it was bought.
The Elite Strap problem might actually be the least of the Oculus Quest 2's worries. Facebook's decision to require a Facebook account to use the VR system is not only facing severe criticism but even an antitrust inquiry, at least in Germany. That requirement also brings its own technical and social problems, like when Facebook intentionally or accidentally bans your account, locking you out of your VR headset that has nothing to do with social networking.