November 2, 2026. Meta has set an end date for new software on its two older headsets. Horizon OS v2.13 will be the FINAL operating system feature release for Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro. It starts rolling out in January 2027 and should reach every device by March 2027. After that, both headsets get only security patches and critical bug fixes, and those stop at the end of December 2027. Your games are not going away, though. Meta says purchased apps keep working, the Store stays open, and cross-play with Quest 3 and Quest 3S continues.
Meta published the details in a developer support page and a matching Quest Help Center notice. Below is what changes, what does not, and what it means if you still own one of these headsets.
The Key Dates
| When | What happens | What it means for owners |
|---|---|---|
| January 2027 | Horizon OS v2.13 begins rolling out | The last update that adds new features to Quest 2 and Quest Pro |
| March 2027 | v2.13 reaches all Quest 2 and Quest Pro devices | Later Horizon OS features arrive only on Quest 3, Quest 3S and newer hardware |
| Through December 2027 | Security patches and critical bug fixes continue | The headsets stay patched for roughly one more year |
| December 2027 | New app submissions for Quest 2 and Quest Pro close | No brand-new apps will launch for these headsets after this point; updates to existing apps can continue |
Meta VR OS SDK v213 is also the last software development kit that supports the two headsets. Any API or feature that requires a newer OS will not work on them, and Meta says it will no longer test new OS or SDK releases against Quest 2 or Quest Pro.
What Keeps Working After v2.13
This is an end of feature development, not a shutdown. According to Meta’s developer page, the following continue to work on Quest 2 and Quest Pro after v2.13:
- Published apps and games, both solo and multiplayer.
- Cross-play between Quest 2, Quest Pro, Quest 3 and Quest 3S, which Meta maintains at the platform level.
- Store browsing, purchases, downloads and access to content you already bought.
- Supported Platform SDK services, Meta Avatars and PC VR.
- Voice calling, messaging and presence features.
- System apps included in v2.13, such as the browser and the Store.
Meta’s Help Center sums it up the same way for consumers: your headset keeps the features it has, you can keep using it after December 2027, and you can keep using the apps and games you own.
What Changes, and the Real Risk for Owners
The immediate change is simple: features Meta adds to Horizon OS after early 2027 will skip Quest 2 and Quest Pro. The longer-term effect depends on developers. Meta gives studios three choices:
- Keep one build for every device. The whole app stays limited to what v2.13 supports.
- Ship separate builds. Quest 2 and Quest Pro receive a frozen or slower-moving version, while Quest 3 and 3S get new features. Meta’s device targeting tools handle which headset gets which build.
- End support. A developer can stop selling an app on the older headsets and stop updating that version.
The third option is the one owners should watch. Meta’s policy requires at least 180 days of written notice to customers when ending support would cause them to lose access to content or essential services. That gives you warning, but it does not guarantee that every live-service or multiplayer game will keep a Quest 2 version forever. Expect big new releases in 2027 to increasingly list Quest 3 and Quest 3S only, especially games that use mixed reality or newer SDK features.
Security is the other date to remember. After December 2027 the headsets stop receiving patches. They will still turn on and run games, but an unpatched device that browses the web and signs into accounts becomes a weaker choice over time, particularly for families. If a child uses an older headset, our Meta Quest parental controls guide covers the settings worth checking now.
Quest Pro Owners Lose the Most
Quest Pro launched in October 2022 as Meta’s premium headset with eye and face tracking, and it was discontinued in 2024 alongside Quest 2, as The Verge notes. Its eye tracking made it a useful development tool, which is why Meta’s FAQ addresses it directly. Quest Pro keeps working, Meta says, but developers preparing apps for Meta VR Glasses should build and test on Quest 3 or Quest 3S instead, because Quest Pro will not get OS or SDK features released after v2.13.
That fits Meta’s broader message. The company now calls Quest 3 and Quest 3S “the baseline for Meta VR gamers,” and says apps built for them carry forward to Meta VR Glasses, which run on the same OS and SDKs and are planned for spring 2027. We covered that strategy in our look at Meta’s roadmap and the VR Glasses.
Should You Upgrade Now?
Not necessarily. A Quest 2 that does what you need today will do the same thing in March 2027. Nothing breaks on the day v2.13 lands. The case for upgrading rests on three questions:
- Do you want new games? New app submissions for Quest 2 close in December 2027, and many studios will move to Quest 3-only builds well before then.
- Do you want mixed reality? Quest 2’s passthrough is grayscale and low resolution. Quest 3 and 3S use color passthrough, which most new mixed reality apps assume.
- Is the headset shared with kids? The end of security patches after 2027 matters more on a family device.
If you do upgrade, Meta’s April 16, 2026 pricing update set U.S. prices at $349.99 for the 128GB Quest 3S and $599.99 for the 512GB Quest 3. Black Friday falls on November 27 this year, so it is worth watching for discounts before buying. Our Quest 3 vs Quest 3S buying guide explains what the extra money buys, and our best VR headsets of 2026 list covers the wider field. Once you have one, the Quest 3 and 3S setup guide walks through moving your account and library, and our best Quest 3 games of 2026 list is a good place to start.
Our Take
Six years of feature updates is a reasonable run for a $299 headset that launched in 2020, and Meta’s plan is more generous than a hard cutoff. Owners keep their libraries, cross-play and the Store, and developers keep the option to support the headsets indefinitely. The real deadline is December 2027, when patches and new app submissions end. Between now and then, the Quest 2 shifts from a current platform to a legacy one, and the Quest 3 family becomes the floor for anything new Meta ships, including software for its VR Glasses.
Sources: Meta Horizon OS Developers: Support Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro after Horizon OS v2.13; Meta Quest Help: Changes to Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro; The Verge; UploadVR; Meta VR Developers on X.