You’ve probably done your research before purchasing your Oculus Quest device, as a quality VR headset such as this one is always an investment.
Judging by the product reviews online, you could conclude that Oculus Quest 2 is one of the best choices you could make when it comes to a virtual reality headset. However, one of the most commonly reported issues with this virtual reality device is that sometimes it won’t start charging when you plug in the charging cable.
Keep reading to discover the reason behind the charging issue and how you can fix Oculus Quest 2.
Why is your Oculus Quest 2 not charging?
Oculus Quest 2 is a favorite among VR gamers, as the Quest 2 headset is a standalone unit. This means that no PC or console is required to power this virtual reality device.
While this is incredibly convenient as you don’t need another device to run your favorite VR games, and it is wholly managed through your smartphone, this also means that your Quest 2 VR headset also depends on its battery.
This means that if there is a problem with the wireless charging option or charging cable of your Oculus headset, it will not be able to charge correctly, and you won’t be able to enjoy everything it has to offer fully.
Here are some potential factors that could limit the charging of your Oculus Quest headset.
The charging port is damaged or blocked
A damaged or clogged charging port is one of the most common issues with your Oculus headset that may compromise the charging.
If the charging port is damaged, the charging cable won’t properly fit into it, and the headset won’t get enough power to function correctly.
The same goes for a clogged port, which often gets blocked by accumulated dirt and debris over time.
An overheated or faulty battery
The battery can often get overheated, especially if you’ve been using the Oculus Quest 2 headset for a while without making a break.
If the battery is damaged, it won’t be able to charge completely, and you will often notice that the battery level is low even after you’ve been charging it for quite some time.
Faulty or incompatible charging cable
The problem can also be in the charging cable, in case it is defective or simply malfunctioning.
It is also possible that you’re not using the adequate charging cable since your Quest 2 headset is often not compatible with charging cables from other virtual reality devices.
If you’re using a USB cable to charge the device via your laptop or PC, the issue may be in the USB cable or the USB port.
How to fix a Oculus Quest 2 not charging
In most cases, fixing your Oculus headset can be a DIY project, and you won’t have to seek professional help.
Take a look at some of the best methods of fixing your Oculus Quest 2 and getting it to charge successfully so you can enjoy your favorite VR game.
1. Check the charging port
Any signs of damage on your charging port could indicate that this is the reason why you’ve been unable to charge your Oculus Quest.
In this case, it is necessary to have your VR device repaired by a professional. You could even request a replacement if your device is still under warranty.
In many cases, the charging port isn’t necessarily damaged but clogged with accumulated dirt and debris. You can easily clean the port with some rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab or a small handheld vacuum cleaner.
2. Check the battery
You will notice that the battery is overheated by touching the device since it will get quite hot in this case.
All you need to do is turn off the device and let it cool off for at least 30 minutes before charging it or using it again. You also want to unplug the Oculus from the power source, as this could be causing the overheating, as well.
You can turn off the device by holding the power button until you hear a down chime sound, which means the device is turned off completely.
3. Use the adequate cable
When it comes to the charging cable or the USB cable you’re using to charge your Quest 2, it needs to be free of any defects. If the charging cable is damaged or worn out, replace it with a new one.
You want to choose a quality certified charging or USB cable instead of a cheap one, as a certified cable will ensure that the device is properly charging and will also last much longer than the low-quality replacement.
4. Disable the auto wake-up option
One of the reasons your Quest 2 isn’t able to fully charge is that you have the auto wake-up option turned on on your device, interrupting the charging.
You should go to Settings, tap See all, then find the Power menu, where you should see the Auto wake-up feature.
Disabling this feature will prevent your Oculus from activating every time someone approaches it, which is not only draining the battery but can also lead to battery overheating.
Remember that once you disable this option, you will have to press the power button when you want to activate the device, as it won’t turn on automatically anymore.
5. Check the Oculus battery status
The battery status of your Oculus will tell you a lot about its charging process. You must launch the official Oculus app on your smartphone, then go to Settings and select Devices.
Now select either Headset or Controller to see the battery status of the Oculus Quest device you’ve connected to your phone through the app.
If the battery indicator light is red, the battery is low. However, a flashing red light on your Oculus as it charges indicates an issue with the device.
A green light will show up when the device is fully charged, while an orange light means the device is currently charging.
If there is no light indication while the device is charging, this usually means a bigger underlying issue.
6. Restart your Oculus device
You could try restarting your Oculus device, which often solves the device’s inability to charge completely.
To restart the device, you need to press and hold the Power button and the Volume down button at the same time. A menu will show up on the device screen.
Use the volume buttons to navigate through the menu, then go to the Boot device option and press the Power button to select it. Your headset will restart automatically.
7. Perform a factory reset of your Oculus device
The reset we’ve discussed in the previous method is also known as the soft reset. It is a good way of resetting and “refreshing” the system while keeping all the data and the settings.
A factory reset, on the other hand, is a hard reset that will bring back the default Oculus settings and remove any bigger issues and system bugs you may have encountered.
You want to launch the menu the same way described in the previous method (by pressing and holding the Power button and the Volume down button simultaneously).
Navigate to Factory reset, then press the Power button to select it. Use the volume button to confirm that you want to erase the data.
