The Short Answer: Yes.
The only people having issues with newer games are the ones refusing to update.
Yes, if you update your firmware and that causes and android version update, some older installs on your headset may stop working. That’s expected … you just reinstall updated versions and move on.
Right now, with the current game list setup, that’s not even a real limitation … it’s just a choice.
Can You Opt Out?
As of pre-v81 firmware, updating is effectively mandatory for all users now. There is currently no confirmed long-term method to reliably block Quest updates. Older “disable updates” methods either partially work, break randomly, or stop working entirely after Meta changes something during a firmware update.
If you know of a reliable method that still works on post-v81 firmware, please share it with the community instead of gatekeeping it:
- Post it on r/QuestPiracy.
- Message the QP moderators.
Right now, most people trying to avoid updates end up stuck in a weird middle state where:
- Newer games stop working.
- Online functionality breaks.
- Store/authentication issues start appearing.
- The headset eventually updates anyway.
So unless you’re intentionally maintaining a fully offline archival setup or preserving root on an old headset, fighting updates is usually more trouble than it’s worth.
Personal Experience
I’ve updated my headset consistently since around firmware 20 on the Quest 2, and I’ve never had issues from updating itself. The idea that you shouldn’t update only makes sense in very specific edge cases that don’t apply to the vast majority of people.
When Skipping Updates Actually Makes Sense
Skipping updates only makes sense if all of the following are true:
- Your headset is already filled with games you plan to keep exactly as they are forever.
- You have no interest in playing new games or anything not already installed.
- You plan to stay offline permanently — no multiplayer, no browsing, nothing.
If that’s not you, then updating is the obvious move.
The Trade-Off
Yes, you might lose access to a few older titles. But if a game doesn’t support newer Android versions, it’s effectively abandoned anyway. At that point you have to decide if holding onto a dead game is worth giving up new releases, updates, and online functionality. For almost everyone, it isn’t.
The Other Edge Case: Rooted Quests
The other edge case is a rooted Quest. Rooting required a specific firmware version and is no longer possible on current firmware (i’ve heard some rumbles that a new metthod may be coming out that doesnt require an outdated firmware but not sure how true that is); updating would remove root. But this makes the case even more niche … a rooted Quest already has all the same limitations above, plus the constraint of staying on old firmware to keep root. That’s an even smaller edge case, not a broader reason to avoid updates.
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