Using Quest Headsets in School? What Meta’s Management Changes Mean for You

If your school manages a set of Meta Quest headsets, you may have seen some confusing news about Meta’s management tools this year. Here is a plain English summary of what has changed and what you should do.

What has changed?

Meta Horizon Managed Services (HMS) is the system schools and businesses use to set up, update and lock down a set of Quest headsets. Meta announced on 15 January 2026 that, from 20 February 2026:

• HMS is now free. Existing monthly subscriptions stopped billing, and new sign ups cost nothing.
• Business versions of Quest are no longer sold. Schools can still buy ordinary consumer Quest headsets and enrol them in HMS.
• HMS is in maintenance mode until 4 January 2030. Meta will fix bugs and provide support, but will not add new features.

Will our headsets stop working?

No. Headsets you already have keep working, and you can still enrol new ones. Tools such as ManageXR, which many schools use to run their headsets, say their service is not affected and still supports the Quest 2. Meta has not said what happens after January 2030, so it is worth keeping an eye on.

What should schools do?

• Keep using what you have. If your headsets do what you need, there is nothing urgent to do.
• Check your bills. If you were paying for HMS, make sure the charges have stopped. Contact Meta support if not.
• Buy consumer headsets for new purchases. A Quest 3S is still the best value option, and it can be enrolled in HMS for free.
• Plan ahead. If you are writing a long term technology plan, assume Meta’s current school tools are supported until 2030, and review your options before then. Other headset makers, such as PICO, also sell to schools.

The upside

Free management makes it cheaper than ever for a school to try VR. A small set of Quest 3S headsets and a few good apps can bring subjects like history, science and geography to life. If you are just starting, our best educational VR apps for schools is a good place to begin, and our guide Is VR bad for children? covers age guidance and safety.

Sources: ManageXR, Meta for Work Help Centre.