Faulty Quest 3 Elite Strap with Battery cannot be fixed by software update
Meta has temporarily stopped selling the Elite Strap with Battery due to a charging fault and explains to MIXED why it has to produce new accessories.
The Elite Strap with Battery doubles the time you can use the Meta Quest 3 without charging from about two to four hours, assuming it works. On Reddit and other forums, many users report that the accessory does not charge the headset at all. Josef and Ben, who reviewed the Elite Strap with Battery, also had this problem.
It is now clear that a simple software update for Meta Quest 3 is not enough to fix the issue.
Why Meta has to produce new accessories
Meta needs to update the firmware on the Elite Strap, but this can only be done during the manufacturing process, the company said in response to our inquiry. The source of the problem is a faulty firmware that causes the battery to be unrecognized by the headset. A firmware update would fix that.
“However, this update must be applied at the factory during manufacturing and is therefore not available for units that have already been shipped. Meta is currently manufacturing units with the new firmware, and as soon as they are available, we can replace your unit with a new unit that uses the firmware update,” Meta said upon our request.
Meta confirmed to RoadtoVR that sales of the $130 accessory have been temporarily paused.
Broken Elite Straps for the second time
If your accessory has the charging fault, you can contact Meta Support and request a replacement. Alternatively, you may be able to return the Elite Strap to Amazon and order a new one when it becomes available in the Meta Store or at retail.
This is the second time that Meta released an official Elite Strap with manufacturing issues. After the launch of the Meta Quest 2 in October 2020, many users reported cracks in the Elite Straps (with or without the battery), rendering the accessory unusable.
In response, Meta temporarily halted sales and extended the warranty. An Elite strap with Battery that I ordered in 2021 no longer had the material defect and is still in use.
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