Fb Pauses Oculus Quest 2 Sale After Over 5,000 Customers Report Pores and skin Irritation

Facebook has temporarily suspended sales of its Oculus Quest 2 VR headset after reports of skin irritation. It also recalls a component in around 4 million devices. The move is part of a joint voluntary recall of Quest 2’s removable foam facial interface with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada.

The California-based tech giant said in a recent blog post that a very small percentage of Quest 2 customers experienced skin irritation after using the removable foam facial interface that sits around a user’s eyes and nose and acts as a pillow between the headset and his face

Facebook introduced a new silicone case to make sure their products are comfortable and safe for everyone. Anyone who already owns a Quest 2 can get a free silicone case that fits over the Quest 2 foam facial interface, the company said.

“The new silicone case fits over the Quest 2’s removable faceplate, and starting August 24th, all Quest 2 headsets will come with a silicone case in each box,” said Facebook.

According to the CPSC post, there are nearly 4 million units that need to be changed.

Consumers experiencing skin irritation or reaction were asked to stop using the recalled foam facial interface and contact Facebook Technologies for a free silicone case. Facebook Technologies also contacts all Quest 2 users directly. The company has received nearly 5,716 reports of skin irritation incidents and nearly 45 reports from consumers who needed medical attention, according to the CPSC.

The CPSC said in its recall warning that the foam-facial interfaces can cause irritation and reactions to facial skin, including rashes, swelling, burning, itching, hives and bumps. However, Facebook denied the use of hazardous substances in the product, assuring that the company takes reports of skin irritation very seriously.

“Our investigation found that our manufacturing process is safe, which means that no unexpected or dangerous contaminants have been found in the foam interface or in the Quest 2 manufacturing process,” it said.

The company’s experts have indicated that many household items – even things like tomatoes or shampoo – can cause skin irritation in some populations and that the rates we observed are as expected.

Facebook is launching a new 128GB Oculus Quest 2 that comes with a silicone case. Sales of the 64 GB version will be completely discontinued, according to the blog post.

First published: 07/29/2021, 5:40 p.m. IST