Oculus Quest 2 skin irritation issue sees VR headset delisted from Amazon

Oculus Quest 2
(Image credit: Future)

If you were considering buying an Oculus Quest 2, now isn’t the best time to do so. The device has reportedly been delisted across multiple Amazon EU storefronts, per Reddit, with recall notices currently being sent out to customers.

The device’s foam padding, meant to provide comfort whilst being worn, has resulted in skin irritation for some users, which has led to the Quest 2’s Amazon store removal.

Reported by RoadToVR, the Oculus Quest 2 is still available for purchase via Oculus’ own website. However, a significant number of Amazon EU websites have paused sales of the device, including the UK, France, Spain and the Netherlands. The Quest 2 is also currently unavailable in Germany due to regulatory issues.

Virtual world, real problems

In a statement to RoadToVR, an Amazon spokesperson said: “Amazon has temporarily paused selling Quest 2 in Europe, in response to an EU Commission filing this week regarding the foam interface. We shared back in April that the foam interface issue has been resolved, and we’re working closely with Amazon to have Quest 2 back on sale as soon as possible.”

If Amazon’s statement is to be taken at face value, the issue appears to have been resolved for a while now, but it remains to be seen when the company will stock Oculus Quest 2 on its EU storefronts again, and in what capacity.

The reports of skin irritation on the Oculus Quest 2 were backed up by the European Commission Safety Gate who stated: “The foam of the product contains substances (e.g.: Propylene carbonate, Phenol, fragrance 7-hydroxycitronellal and Benzocaine) which are skin and eye irritants. Consequently the user could suffer from irritation. The product does not comply with the requirements of the General Product Safety Directive.”

This unfortunately isn’t the first time skin irritations have been reported while using the Oculus Quest 2 device. Last year, Oculus reported that 0.01% of users reported serious side effects of using the VR headset, such as redness, bumps and swelling.

Rhys Wood
Hardware Editor

Rhys is TRG's Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.