Quick steps
- Change your Oculus Quest 2 Settings
- Use an Oculus Link Cable instead of Air Link for PC VR
- Shut down the Quest 2 when it's not in use
- Use an Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap With Battery
As a wireless device, the Oculus Quest 2 (now Meta Quest 2) offers users a chance to experience VR without the need for a PC or external device. Unfortunately, this also means it has to rely entirely on its internal battery.
If you're immersed in one of the best Quest 2 games, it can be a major letdown when you're booted out thanks to the charge running out. To help you out we're here with the best ways you can improve the battery life of your Oculus Quest 2 headset and play for longer.
Tools and Requirements
- Oculus Quest Link Cable (optional
- Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap With Battery (optional)
Steps
- Change your Oculus Quest 2’s settings. The first thing you’ll want to do is drop into VR on your Oculus Quest 2 and open up the Settings menu. Here go to Device > Power and you’ll see two options: Auto Wake Headset and Auto Sleep Headset.
We’d recommend turning off Auto Wake Headset and turning on Auto Sleep Headset and setting it to about 15s. Auto Wake being switched off will stop your headset from turning itself on by accident (and burning through its battery) if it's jostled and thinks it’s in use, while Auto Sleep will automatically put the headset on standby if it detects it’s not being used.
You may also need to turn off some Experimental Settings like 120Hz gameplay that warn they’ll reduce your Quest’s battery life. These are turned off by default, but you can double-check if any have been switched on by heading to the Experimental tab in Settings.
- Shut down your Oculus Quest 2 when you’re not using it. Even though it won’t be using a lot of charge while on standby, your headset will slowly be draining itself unless it’s properly switched off.
To get the absolute most out of your Quest 2 headset we’d recommend properly shutting it down after each use rather than simply putting it to sleep. To do this hold down the power button for a few seconds then press Power Off when the option appears in front of you.
- Use an Oculus Link Cable instead of Air Link when playing PC VR. If you stick to just the Oculus Quest 2’s own library then this won’t be too much of an issue for you, but if you frequently use your headset to play PC VR games then you’ll want to get a Link Cable.
While Air Link maintains the Quest 2’s wireless aspects it put more strain on the Quest 2’s battery thanks to extra signals it has to fire out.
However, the Link cable isn’t a perfect solution either, as weirdly it doesn’t charge the Quest 2 while you’re using it. It should increase the battery life slightly, but don’t expect unlimited plugged-in VR gaming.
- Buy the Elite Strap with Battery. This add-on is one of our favorites for the Quest 2 as not only will it give you an extra hour or two of playtime, but the weight of the battery makes the headset’s weight feel more evenly balanced while you’re wearing it.
The Elite Strap with Battery doesn’t come cheap, unfortunately - costing around $110 / £100 / AU$160 which is around a third of the price you already spent on the headset. If you’re desperate to improve your headset’s battery life, this is the best way to do that.
Final thoughts
We hope these tips help you maximize the battery life of your Quest 2 headset so you can get back to playing the best VR games out there.
Beyond what we've outlined above, you can also watch to make sure you don't wear the battery down by overcharging it by unplugging the device whenever the power light changes from yellow to green. This can be a pain to look out for though - especially if you have things you'd rather be doing than watching your headset charge up.
However, if you notice it is fully recharged pull out the power cable and that should help you keep your Quest 2's battery healthy and longer-lasting.
