Facebook has put the sale of the new Oculus Quest 2 Virtual Reality headset on pause following reports of customers experiencing skin irritation after using it.

The company is also offering free silicone covers to users who experience any skin reactions from the new VR set. The silicone covers will come standard with the headsets next month.

Oculus Quest 2 Recall

In a blog post, Oculus issued a voluntary recall of its newest headset, the Quest 2, after receiving reports of a small percentage of customers experiencing skin irritation from the Quest 2 removable foam facial interface.

According to the head of Facebook Reality Labs, Andrew Bosworth, while the rate of reports is small and the majority of the reported cases were minor, "we're committed to ensuring our products are safe and comfortable for everyone who uses them," NME reported.

Oculus announced that they are now offering a free silicone cover for their Quest 2 and Quest 2 Fit Pack sets globally while they work with experts to make adjustments to their manufacturing process. They said they are also communicating proactively with regulators to address the issue.

The Oculus Quest 2 is currently the only Oculus headset model available after the company discontinued Rift, Go, and the original Quest headsets, NME said.

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How to Request for a Silicone Cover for Quest 2

To request for a Quest 2 Silicone Cover, first Oculus requires the affected user to sign in using their Facebook account or their Oculus ID on the Oculus website. Next, users have to proceed to the "My Devices" page and look for the Oculus Quest 2 on the list. Users click on the "Request Silicone Cover" button and enter and submit their shipping information.

To install the silicone cover, the user must unsnap the foam facial interface from the Quest 2 headset and slip the silicone cover over the facial interface. Users must ensure that it properly covers the facial interface. Reinstall the interface back onto the facial interface by snapping the plastic back in at the top above the lenses and at the bottom by the nose bridge.

The medical-grade silicone is easy to clean. Remove the facial interface by unsnapping it from the Quest 2 and slip off the silicone cover from the facial interface.

Washing the silicone cover with warm water and rinsing with clean water is the way to go, but Oculus said rubbing alcohol can also be used. They do warn against using disinfectant wipes, soap, or any other cleaning products that may degrade the silicone and cause severe irritation. Make sure the silicone cover is dry before reinstalling it on the Quest 2 headset.

According to NME, all Oculus Quest 2 headsets will come with a silicone cover as standard starting from August 24. All new base units will also be receiving a storage bump from the original 64 GB now to 128 GB. The prices remain the same with the base unit costs $299 while the 256 GB version costs $399.

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