Oculus Quest 2 Face Pad Recall And A New Tiny Bummer For Early Adopters

The release of the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset was given a bit of a kick in the pants by reports of skin irritation on the faces of some users. Though Oculus suggests that "a very small percentage of users" reported said skin irritation where the foam portion of the facial interface rests on the skin, they're offering a replacement for all. Per the announcement from Oculus, "the safety and comfort of every customer is our top priority."

Boz, the VP of Facebook Reality Labs at Facebook, suggested that "starting today, [Oculus is] introducing a new silicone cover for all Quest 2 customers globally." He added that all customers who purchased a Quest 2 or Fit Pack in the past can get a free cover to replace the cover that came with the device.

The Oculus Quest 2 will go "back on sale" on August 24, 2021. At that time, the company will be revealing a new 128GB iteration of the device "that will include the silicone cover from Day 1." If you previously purchased a Quest 2 for $299, you might be disappointed to find that the new Quest 2 (with 128GB of storage) will be released for the same price.

If you've not purchased an Oculus Quest 2 yet, but were planning on buying at some point in the future – this is good news. You'll get a device with twice as much storage as the original version with a face pad that doesn't irritate anyone's skin for the same price as the original.

Of course, this sort of thing happens all the time – price points changing not long after initial release for brand new and innovative pieces of smart tech. Does it matter to you, the early adopter, that this release schedule and price is being made a reality at Oculus in the near future? Or are you completely OK with it, since you're already benefitting from the device you have, and someone getting a new device is only really positive for the ecosystem on which you now depend?