Meta’s Elite Strap with Battery for Quest 3 Faces Reliability Issues
Flagship smartphones and virtual reality (VR) headsets often come with expensive first-party accessories. These accessories are expected to have exceptional quality, considering the advantage the product designers have. Meta, a leading tech company, offers an array of useful accessories known for their high quality. However, some of its most expensive first-party accessories, such as the Elite Strap with Battery for Quest 3, continue to face reliability issues.
Improving Comfort with First-Party Accessories
The default fabric strap that comes with the Quest 2 or Quest 3 VR headsets can be uncomfortable to wear for long periods. Meta recognized this and introduced its own aftermarket headstraps: the Elite Strap and Elite Strap with Battery. The latter includes an external battery that adds two hours of extra usage time. While these first-party accessories significantly improve comfort and ergonomics, they come at a high price of $70 for the Elite Strap and $130 for the Elite Strap with Battery for Quest 3. Similar versions for the Quest 2 are priced slightly lower.
Although similar third-party alternatives are available at much lower prices on platforms like Amazon, Meta expects customers to consider its first-party accessories before making a purchase. However, many users have reported issues with the Elite Strap with Battery for Quest 3, even though it is priced at $130. This accessory is supposed to improve the VR experience, but its reliability issues have caused disappointment among customers.
The Emerging Reliability Issues
Since the Quest 3’s release, several users on Reddit and Meta forums have complained that the Elite Strap with Battery is not functioning as expected. While the external battery initially works, it eventually fails to charge the headset, rendering it useless. An informal poll conducted on Twitter revealed that 43% of respondents who owned the strap for Quest 3 experienced similar charging issues, indicating a potential manufacturing defect rather than user error.
While one would expect an easy solution for such a problem, Meta has not advised customers to return or replace the strap. According to Meta support, replacing the strap may not necessarily resolve the problem since they are aware of the issue but haven’t identified a solution yet. Some users who have gone through the Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) process have had to repeat it multiple times to receive a functioning unit.
Considering these reports, it is advisable to reconsider purchasing the Elite Strap with Battery for Quest 3. In fact, Meta has temporarily removed it from availability on their official channels. However, participating retailers such as Best Buy and Target may still have the item in stock, although anecdotal reviews there also mention the charging issues.
The Need for a Resolution
Meta is yet to provide additional information regarding the cause of the problem. It remains unknown whether it is a software or hardware issue. Until Meta addresses and resolves the problem, it is highly recommended not to purchase the Elite Strap with Battery for Quest 3. Considering the upcoming holiday season, a malfunctioning accessory could be a significant disappointment for VR enthusiasts.
We will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as they become available.